Brothers In Arms
by Azaelynn
Summary: During the Final Battle, Harry is taken to Amestris after using alchemy, landing in the Elric's home when they tried alchemy on their mother. Harry joins them on their journey, as he can't go back home. SPOILERS! SLASH HP/RM! SEE BIO FOR DETAILS!
1. Ch 1 ARRIVAL: THE BEGINNING

BROTHERS IN ARMS

LADY SHINIGAMI

DISCLAIMER: THE USUAL. 'NUFF SAID.

A/N: This is my first FMA fic, so be gentle, and yes, it is a crossover with Harry Potter, but I hope that it's something different from the usual crossover, because there are a few of them out there, and I want a little originality. I plan on mostly following the main plot line to FMA, adding or changing scenes as it becomes necessary, so be gentle! I also want to have some slash/yaoi in here, because I am a total fangirl... but I don't know what pairing I want. Any input would be greatly helpful!

CHAPTER 1: ARRIVAL: THE BEGINNING

The damage was extreme, the destruction truly frightening. It was something out of a nightmare, made more horrifying as the reality, the result of a horrible war that was starting to take its toll on the world.

The battlefield: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The combatants: Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, and the Dark Lord Voldemort. All other combatants didn't really matter in the true outcome of this war. The end would be decided by the two of them.

Hours ago, Voldemort had attacked Hogwarts with a hugely intimidating force behind him. He had wanted a swift, mutilating strike that would give him an easy victory, but Harry Potter foiled that idea. For months, he had trained in secret, forgotten magics, training himself nearly to the extent of killing himself. He was determined to destroy his enemy at all costs, literally. He had suffered far too many loses as it was with that monster free.

The school had been ready for such an attack by the Dark Lord, dragging the battle out as the two forces clashed together with a fury worthy of the gods of old. Countless fell in death, or injury, or maiming, but both sides forced their key players against each other quickly.

Draco Malfoy, who had turned against the Dark, fought against his own cruel father, falling under Lucius' Cruciatus curse, his screams more agonizing than anything imagined. Narcissa Malfoy, who had killed three of the Weasley children, engaged a hysterical Molly Weasley, while Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger faced off against Walden McNair and Avery. Neville Longbottom finally avenged his parents by killing Bellatrix Lestrange before succumbing to her husband's ire.

So many people he knew, so many friends he cared about were dying more quickly as time passed. Harry loped off Fenrir Greyback's head, standing before Voldemort with Godric Gryffindor's sword in hand. The bastard had the bloody nerve to just smirk at him.

Harry had forsaken his wand in favor of the sword he carried, and favored his powerful wandless magic. This way, Priori Incantatum would be null and void.

Harry had studied and trained hard for months for this very moment, this single point in time. He had also found what he believed would be the end of Voldemort. Permanently, this time.

"Harry Potter. This is the day. The day history changes, and the day of your death. Prepare to die, boy." The taunt was hissed.

Harry regarded his enemy calmly. "Fairly confident of yourself, aren't you? I have guided you to where you will die. Look at the ground you're standing on, idiot. Don't you see the array?"

It was true. The day before, after a true Vision of the future, Harry had magically engraved a circular array of curving lines into the very earth. He had seen it in a book he had been studying from. This particular array was the strongest of its kind, and Voldemort and himself were standing in the middle of it.

"What do you have planned, boy?" Voldemort was getting a touched worried.

"Equivalent Exchange. I offer up myself as the price of destroying you. I give up my freedom, my life, my magic, my memories, the memories of me, my friends, my family, my will. I offer up my very soul to have you irrevocably destroyed." Sheathing his sword, Harry dropped to his knees, laying his hands gently on the smooth lines gorgeous array. Voldemort did not have any time to react to Harry's words.

Immediately, blue light exploded from the array, halting every battle. The light swirled and convulsed, immobilizing both of those trapped inside the vortex.

The light turned crimson and angry, but neither Harry nor Voldemort were aware. They stood before the Gate that Harry had only ever heard or read mere whispers of.

Voldemort quaked in fear at the sight of the massive Gate, insanity quickly taking over his mind. Harry stood before it calmly. He smiled.

The doors creaked open, revealing an infinite black chasm, but one by one, hundreds of pairs of amethyst eyes opened, and Harry thought for a moment, he could children's laughter. It sounded malevolent.

And he knew truth. He could see it all, faster than he could understand it, and he knew the absolute truth, the truth about the world he had called home, and it scared him, what he could understand in those very few seconds. But Harry did not falter; he did not run from the ultimate truth.

He was grabbed roughly by dozens of small black arms, and he allowed himself to be pulled unresisting into the Gate. Voldemort struggled to run, and was dragged in. Harry noticed, absently, that the arms and hands (so much like those of children), slowly deconstructed Voldemort's makeshift body as they passed through the Gate.

Harry closed his eyes. He knew what the Gate had chosen as a trade for Voldemort's destruction. His world, the wizarding world, would never remember his face, and he was forever being taken from that world. The faces of the parents he never knew faded from his mind, and the Gate took his leg as well, from just below the hip. He would never be able to return to his world again. Ever.

Unless the Gate wished it.

Tiny black fingers tugged at his clothes, and Harry opened his eyes. His school robes were fast disintegrating, leaving Harry in his muggle clothes, jeans and a green t-shirt, and his black traveling cloak. Harry nodded. He would accept anything the Gate wanted, no matter how much it would terrify him, or hurt him.

He couldn't hear Voldemort's screams anymore. The Dark wizard was gone.

The black chasm lightened rapidly, until he was being pushed through to the other side of the Gate. Something horrible was happening was happening on the other side.

* * *

The moment blue light erupted from the most powerful of Alchemic arrays in one world, two young boys, grief stricken and minds clouded by delusions of grandeur and ignorance were awed for a moment at the sheer power they had released and wielded at their touch to the Circle on the floor.

Then the light turned dark, violent, and one brother looked around, confused. The other brother noticed something was horribly wrong first.

"Brother, something's wrong! Brother!" But it seemed like his brother hadn't heard him over the wind caused by their power. A lamp shattered and books scattered around the room as the vortex around them grew more violent.

"Brother, something's going wrong here! WHAAAGGARRHHH!" The younger brother suddenly screamed, finally catching his brother's attention as three black hands stretched and curved, grabbing at his flesh, red lightning flashing as his skin was deconstructed. He was terrified and he couldn't figure out a way to stop it.

The older of the two boys heard his brother's screams, and turned away from the eerie violent light, eyes widening in horror as he watched his brother's arm fade away.

"AL!" He started after his brother, hoping to reach him, but he stumbled, and he looked down at his leg. The same black hands that were taking away his brother had a hold of his leg, deconstructing it, taking it away. There was pain, a lot of it, and he could do nothing to stop it.

"EDWARD!" Al's shout brought Ed's mind back to his brother's predicament. He looked back at his younger brother and saw as he was being pulled, dragged, into... a Gateway? Ed gathered what strength he had and tried to move towards his brother, reaching out for him.

"Brother! Brother! Brother, please!" Al got dragged further and further away out of Ed's reach.

"NOO! AL!" He reached out, stretching his arm to grab his hand, Al's screams echoing he disappeared, the brothers' fingers just barely missing each other.

Then, so quiet it was nearly missed, a voice rang out in Ed's mind. "I have your brother with me... I stopped him from crossing the Gate completely. If you want to save him, do what you need to do."

Ed nodded and performed alchemy once again. This time, however, he was blinded by a flash of light, and he cried out in pain at the sacrifice he used for his brother's soul. There was a loud clang and a heavy thud before silence drowned the occupants of the basement.

After a moment, a low, echoing moan was heard and a large suit of armor moved from its place where it had fallen on the floor. A look of life shone somewhere in the eyes of the helmet, and it looked at his metal hand.

"Wha- what... is this?" Low, wracking sobs and suppressed pain drifted into his hearing, and he looked past his armored hand, to where Ed was, kneeling on the floor, clutching at his shoulder, where once there had been a right arm. Ed stared blankly at the suit of armor, pale from blood loss.

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry... Al"

The suit of armor rose to its feet with a clang. "Brother!" He rushed to his fallen brother's side, reaching out, but not touching his older brother just yet. "What happened to you? And me? What happened to me?"

Al gathered his brother in his empty hollow arms, staring at the bloody mess that was his only family. "There wasn't much time, I used my right arm as material in a transmutation... and all I could manage was to attach your spirit to the armor in the corner!"

"Oh, no..."

"I heard someone, after you were gone... he said I didn't have much time, and that he stopped your soul from passing through completely... and I was only able to do what I did!" Ed had his eyes shut as the pain settled in his body, and his nerves felt like they were burning, on fire.

Al looked down at his brother. "But... but what about mom?"

"No, Al... you shouldn't look!"

Al turned his metal helmet of a head anyway, looking into the center of the circle they had drawn. As the fog and mist in the basement dissipated, the large dish that had held all the physical ingredients to the human body lay in a pool of splattered blood.

"It wasn't human!"

A mass of congealed flesh and muscle lay grotesquely in the dish, bones, eerily similar to robs poking through the bloody mess. Something that resembled a hand hung, almost as though reaching out for something. Al had to look away.

"I don't understand, Ed! What happened? Your theorems and equations! They all seemed right!"

"The theorems weren't the problem, Al... it wasn't the math!" Ed's voice was a ragged whisper now, his eyes clenched tightly shut. "It was us!"

Another moan caught Al's attention. He looked away from his brother, avoiding the sight of the inhuman mess they had created, trying to find the cause of that moan.

In the corner of the room, was a stranger. Someone Al had never seen before, and he was badly hurt, too, like Ed. He was older than Al and his brother, but not yet an adult. He was laying sprawled out, like he had been tossed around like a doll. Black hair hid most of his face from view, but Al caught a glimpse of bright emerald green- the man was awake! He set his brother down, and approached the stranger quickly, assessing him.

A sword was strapped to his back, barely visible under a tattered black cloak, and he could barely see a hint of a long ragged scar across one eye. There seemed to be more to this man that Al could imagine, and he was also missing his left leg, but unlike Ed's leg, this man was missing his leg from the hip down.

"Please..."

Al grabbed some sheets from one of the cupboards, and tore them into strips, wrapping up the stranger's wounds, before doing the same to his brother. He then gathered up the two of them and ran from the house, trying his best not to jostle his precious cargo.

The stranger wrapped one arm around Ed and held him close, trying to shield him from the rain that poured heavily outside. Al ran to the only place he could think of to go for help.

In moments, or it could have been hours, Al crashed though the door of the home of their only friend, Winry Rockbell. The young girl, around the same age as Ed, and an elderly woman stood in shock at the sight that silhouetted their door.

Al dropped to his armored knees, the rain sliding smoothly down his plated body in rivulets. The two bodies he carried were just barely moving, and bleeding heavily.

"Please... help them. They're going to bleed to death!"

The girl jumped, as though startled. "Al... is that you?"

They were rushed into the house and the older woman set up a guest bedroom as a kind of hospital room. At her command, Al settled his brother and the stranger in the two beds that were in the room. He stayed out of the way as the girl Winry, and her grandmother, Pinako cleaned and wrapped the hideous wounds of the two victims.

They still had no idea who the stranger was. There was no piece of idea on him, and the sword didn't tell them anything. It was then, in the proper light of the Rockbell home that Al was able to properly look upon the face of this strange man.

He was tall, and lean, he looked like a swimmer. His black hair was slightly messy, and hung in his face. Al could see a multitude of scars adorning his body, and he wondered about them. The most mysterious of all the scars was the large one on his face. It roughly resembled a lightning bolt, starting down from his forehead, and coming across his eye, settling on his cheek, near his mouth.

Al left him to sit by his brother, who appeared to be sleeping, or unconscious, the bandages on his shoulder and knee already seeping with a little blood. He looked up as Winry started speaking.

"We didn't even know you were back from training. How did all this happen, Al?"

Pinako cut in. "Well, clearly, it's a product of mischief! You were trying to bring back your mother, weren't you?" Al looked away at that.

The door opened abruptly, startling all three of them. "Well, that explains a few things. A human transmutation; I've never seen such a furious reaction before." A dark man in black gently closed the door to the room they were in, his black eyes shrewd and guarded. "Pardon me," He reached into his long jacket and pulled out a pocket watch.

"A State Alchemist?" Al asked. The man stepped further into the room, approaching the stranger's bed.

"What are you doing here? I have no time to entertain dogs! Can't you see these boys are hurt?" Pinako kept a hostile front to the newcomer.

The State Alchemist smiled casually. "Take it easy, ma'am; I'm just checking the mail."

Al perked up. "One of our letters! Do you know where my dad is?"

The Alchemist raised his gaze to Al. "I only wish, kid. We've been looking for Hoeinhiem for a long time, and we're still only kicking up dirt."

"Well, if you didn't have any information, why did you come? You sure aren't going to find their dad here!"

"Call it nostalgia, or misplaced curiosity. Whatever it was, I'm happy I came; if these boys can try human alchemy and survive, their dad just dropped a rung on my priority list."

A new voice joined in the odd conversation. "And what about me?" All heads turned to the stranger no one knew about. He was forcing himself to sit up, despite the pain it caused him. Emerald eyes burned with a determined fire.

"What about you?" The Alchemist asked.

"I was there during that transmutation. I came through because of it. I know nothing of this place, everything is alien to me, and you will find no record of me anywhere. My being here is a direct result of that transmutation." His voice was ragged, and Al noticed that his hand strayed closer to the sword that was propped up close by.

"And who are you, exactly?"

The stranger just smirked. "Harry Potter. A veteran of war, and the Boy who Lived."

"Boy... Who Lived?" Winry's asked, her voice shaken slightly. Harry nodded.

"Yes. I survived unavoidable, instantaneous death. The only one to do so in the history of man. Where I'm from, it was rumored that I could survive anything."

Pinako had had enough. She turned to the Alchemist angrily, her voice rising as she spoke. "I want you out of this house immediately! I've had enough lives ruined by the State!"

"We'll see, then." The State Alchemist turned away from them, walking back towards the door. "I'll be keeping an eye on you lot. The name's Lt. Colonel Roy Mustang, State Alchemist. Pay me a visit at Central sometime." With that, he left the house, leaving its occupants staring after him.

Al looked away from the door and faced Harry. "Who are you? How did you get to be in the lab?"

"Like I said, my name is Harry. Believe it or not, but I am a wizard. A true, honest to Merlin wizard, and the real deal. I don't know what happened exactly, but I helped your brother save you. And I have lost everything that was dear to me. but right now, I think I need to rest, so this discussion will have to resume at a later time." With a small nod, Harry settled back down into the sheets of his bed, and passed out from the pain from his wound.

* * *

Harry woke up again sometime the next day, late afternoon by his guess, and he heard voices around him. He opened his eyes, and found his glasses on the small table beside the bed, and slid them into place, without distracting the others in the room.

"There's some money in the house, in a closet." The boy called Ed.

"I'm sure its safe. There are more important things to worry about now." And Pinako. Winry and Al stood off a little, watching them.

Ed shook his head a little, trying not to move much as Pinako was changing his bandages. "That's not what I'm saying. I want you to take it as payment... for automail."

Pinako still, drawing in a sharp breath.

Ed continued on, never making eye contact with any of the others. "I can't go through my plan lugging around a pair of stumps! I'm gonna visit that man, Mustang, and become a State Alchemist."

"I was hoping you weren't conscious to hear that talk."

"He's not the only one I heard from. The teacher we had told us about State Alchemists; they've got access to the Federal Library in Central, with books on alchemy no one else has. They'll pay you, and fund your research, and those pocket watches amplify alchemic reactions."

Pinako leveled a steady look on Ed. "Please tell me that's not all your teacher said. What about State Alchemists being the Military's attack dogs, called into war to mow down the lives of people the State tells you are bad! Did your teacher mention that? In the attacks that took the lives of my sons, there were Alchemists involved. When war comes again, are you ready to do that same?"

Ed didn't look up at her, keeping his head down, but Harry saw a determination light Ed's golden eyes. "I don't wanna be chained to the State anymore than you, but I'll do whatever it takes to fix things."

"Fix you? Or the world? Make sure you ask yourself that."

"Let him do what he wishes; it's his choice, in the end." Harry spoke up, causing the others to stare at him. "There are all the choices in the world, few of them are ever decided by ourselves. Your advice is sound, but in the end, he must choose for himself."

"You're awake. Good. Now, we can continue what we started last night, so explain what you mean by being a wizard."

Harry smiled. "It's simple, really. I have the strange feeling that I am from a different world than this one, and that different rules applied. Where I'm from, alchemy was a forgotten art, a branch of magic that failed due to the folly of man. I was at war, back in my world, and had stumbled upon alchemy, true alchemy, during my research and training to bring that war to an end, since magic wasn't getting us anywhere."

He gestured to the sword that had been with him. "Accio sword." The weapon flew into his hand, a flicker of lightning flashing between his palm and the blade.

"Magic could almost be called alchemy with laws, but it is not. I can summon anything I wish to me; I can fly; I can torture people; I can even kill with magic. I can change the shape of anything, or conjure up things from the very air, but there are limits to what I can do. I cannot bring back the dead, I cannot change history, or mess with time, although time travel is possible, and I am not invincible or immortal with my magic."

Harry paused, looking at Pinako with a calculating gaze. "What is this 'automail' I heard Ed mention, and how much would it cost?"

* * *

"Aargh!"

"Please, just bare with us, Ed! This is the best procedure we can do!" Winry said as she worked on the boy, trying to calm him down. Pinako was in a similar situation with Harry.

"Bloody hell!"

"Aaugh!" Harry tried not to thrash around too much as the old woman worked, and he gripped the sides of the operating table with crushing force, his knuckles white with exertion. Ed thrashed a little, clenching his eyes shut from the monumental pain of the surgery.

A door creaked opened. "Stay out of the room, Al!" Winry snapped, and Al shut the door quickly.

"I'm impressed, Ed, Harry. Even adults scream in this part of the operation; we're attaching each one of your nerves to the mechanism." Pinako stated, clearly impressed with her two patients.

"I've lost everything I hold dear... and this is nothing compared to the Cruciatus, but what I wouldn't give for one of Snape's numbing draughts!" Harry managed to grit out of clenched teeth.

Ed opened his eyes, sweat dripping down his face. "This pain's nothing... compared to what he's given up...!" The operation continued.

* * *

A couple of months passed since the operation, and the two patients slowly recovered from it. Al occupied himself by training his new body, getting a feel for how the metal moved, and what he could do. He was out by the river, practicing his fighting skills.

Harry had managed to convince the two boys that it would be best if he stuck close to them. He was eager to learn about the new world he was in, and wanted to learn about the alchemy that was a science here, and not some forgotten branch of old magic. Ed willingly agreed to teach Harry all he knew about alchemy, and during their recovery, he had found that the older teen was quite proficient at the science. It helped that he already knew the basic principles.

It turned out that he could still use his magic in this new world, but it was wandless, and it was visible as lightning. Harry had found this horribly ironic.

He learned of Ed and Al's past, their life in Risenbul, and in return, he told the two, and Winry and Pinako at times, about his life back in his own world, the world he would never return to. The others were skeptical about his stories of another world, but they could not dispute it either, so they kept the matter open for interpretation.

Ed had connected with the stranger he was starting to consider as an older brother during the time they had spent together recovering from the automail surgery. As Harry talked about his past, and the friends he remembered, Ed couldn't help but feel sympathetic when it turned out that Harry could no longer remember what his parents looked like, or their names. All Harry knew was that he remembered was being told that he had his mother's eyes.

But at the present moment, Ed and Harry were walking slowly down to the riverside, where Al was practicing. The animated armor noticed their arrival and paused, not looking at them directly.

"It's been enough time. We should see what we can do." He said.

Ed smiled, walking towards his brother with his hands in his pockets. "To train the mind to its potential, you got to train the body. That's what our teacher said." He paused a few feet away from Al. Harry stood back a little, a small smile tugging at his lips. He pushed his glasses into place.

"Really? Your teacher was very smart, then, and very good at teaching. Too bad I don't have my Firebolt, or I'd fly circles around the two of you."

"You talk a lot, Harry, and Al, I don't know, how good can you as an empty heap of steel?" Ed smirked at the two of them.

"Better than a couple of chunks of automail, that's for sure, and if you're as good on the ground as you say you are in the air, Harry, then you'll be a challenge." Al retorted, drawing grins from the other two.

Ed suddenly charged at Al, punching him with his metal right fist, and Harry leapt into action as well, launching a flying roundhouse kick at Al's head. Al caught them both, blocking the attacks.

And so the assessment continued, with Ed and Harry attacking Al, testing out their automail parts, and Al testing his foreign body, trying to see the limit of his empty shell of a body.

The mock duel ended quickly, with Al overpowering both of them, dragging Ed around in a half circle, and holding Harry in the air by his metal leg. They began again, fighting each other, testing their skills.

"Brother, are you serious about becoming a State Alchemist?"

"I'm serious about trying. I'm going to see this Mustang guy, and find out if I have a shot!"

"But I don't want you to join..."

"Al, I've made up my mind!"

"Then I will, too!"

"You can't!"

"Ed, are you going to try and bring back your mother again?" Harry spoke up this time, breaking into the brothers' conversation. "You two did agree that it was a mistake, correct?"

"I'll become the State Alchemist!" Al interjected. "And I'll find a way to get you and Harry back to normal, with real limbs again. Then you can forget about all these other things that you say you have to do."

Ed cut him off. "It's not your burden to carry, Al."

The three of them stopped their fight. "Well, why shouldn't it be?" Harry asked calmly. "He wanted you to stop, from what you told me, he had the feeling."

"So I should've acted on it. And then you gave up your arm to save me! And Harry got that scar helping you!"

"You've got no place feeling sorry for us, though." Harry cut in again, voicing his thoughts. "We have all made our choices, we share the burden."

"But, Harry, Brother..."

"We're both serious! But I'm the one that has to fix things, and get your body back. I don't know what I can do for Harry, since his sacrifices weren't totally related to us, but I'll do me best to help him, too."

Al stared at Ed, glancing at Harry as well. "So we won't try with mom again?"

Ed looked away, pain and sadness glistening in his golden eyes. "Well, chances are there isn't anything in this world we could trade for mom's soul, and besides all that... I don't..."

"He doesn't want to risk losing you again, Al, and I wouldn't be able to keep you back again." Harry said, coming up to stand behind Ed, towering over the smaller, younger boy.

There was a moment's pause. "Good, then I'll have to come with you, Harry too!"

Ed looked up at Al, perplexed. "Er, why is that?"

"You're no good without me, you just turn into a jerk, and Harry will be a good influence, too!"

Ed deflated, his ego hurt. "Thanks for the endorsement!"

"But seriously, we're all we got. From now on, we can't do anything that could pull us apart."

Harry smiled warmly, feeling quite attached already to the Elric brothers. "And you brats are stuck with me, too. You two are my family now, and I will not let you go without a fight."

* * *

A couple of months after that, close to a year after the incident that brought them together, the three of them left Risenbul, burning down the Elric home, and all the familiar things inside, erasing all trace of that night and Harry's arrival. The two brothers were trying to restore their bodies, and it was still human transmutation, a forbidden science. If they failed, there would probably be nothing left of them, and they had no idea what the future would hold.

Harry vowed to protect the two brothers as best he could, using everything he had at his disposal. He could not judge them on their actions; for years he had wished for something similar, but he would do his best to make sure they made it to their future, because he knew that he had no hope of going back.

* * *

A/N: first chapter is finished! How'd I do? The review button is just in the corner, so don't be shy! Was everything plausible? Let me know! And no flames, please, they will just be ignored and given over to my pet werewolf puppy to eat! See you all next time! 


	2. Ch 2 FORGER

BROTHERS IN ARMS

LADY SHINIGAMI

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER, OR FMA. 'NUFF SAID.

CHAPTER 2: THE FORGER

The three of them got on the first train leading towards Central, leaving behind everything after they had burned down the Elric home. Harry settled into his seat beside Ed with a book on alchemy, swallowing up the info with an eager mind. He wished to become a State Alchemist alongside Ed and Al, if only to keep the two of them out of too much trouble.

It was strange... he had grown attached to these two brothers rather quickly, trusting them easily. Harry wasn't one to trust quite so easily, but there was something about these two that spoke to his heart. They had experienced a lot in their young lives, and Harry could sympathize with them for most of it.

He smiled, and went back to his reading, secure in the knowledge that, if anything went wrong, he would be there for them, and that the three of them would help each other.

"Al, you're okay with this... right?" Ed asked, drawing half of Harry's attention from his studying.

"Huh?"

"I mean, with leaving everything behind. You have no regrets, do you?"

Al leaned forward, his metal shell of a body clanging together softly. "There's no turning back now! And remember, I'm the one who insisted on coming with you, and besides, we both know you'll miss home more than I will." Al teased a little, trying to lighten the fairly somber mood that hung in the air. The burning of their only home had only occurred a few hours previous.

Ed looked up at his brother, startled for a moment, before a cocky grin settled on his young face. "Good riddance! That's what I say! 'Cause you know who's on his way to becoming a State Alchemist!" He gestured to himself in an arrogant manner. "Me!"

"We're all going to become State Alchemists, Ed." Harry said, not looking up from his book. He turned the page absently.

"Yeah, and when I become a State Alchemist, the first thing I'll do is fix your body."

Ed cast a sad look at his brother, his features softening. "I told you, Al, it's not your burden. You just have to take care of yourself."

"And I told you, Ed, that the burden is for the three of us to share. You do not have to walk this path alone, and I, for one, refuse to stand by idly." Harry leveled a steady glance at the boy beside him.

Al looked out the window, silent for a moment. "I wonder how one becomes a State Alchemist. Do you think we'll have to take a test?"

Harry snorted. "That's why I'm studying... so I can catch up to you two in case there is a test."

Ed frowned, his gaze dropping to his lap. He remembered the visit of that Mustang guy, and what he had said. "Whatever it takes, I'm sure that Mustang guy will guide us through it." He smirked suddenly, before throwing back his head and laughing a little. "What am I stressing for? Al, with talent like mine, this will be a cakewalk for me!"

Harry lowered his book, giving the younger boy a mildly annoyed glare. "Merlin, you're sometimes worse than Draco ever was. How you're so confident is beyond me." He then noticed a certain quietness emanating from the suit of armor. "What is it, Al?"

"Are you thinking about Winry?"

Al just dropped his gaze and sighed.

The rest of the train ride was spent in silence.

* * *

It was later that same day that found the Elric brothers and Harry in a train station waiting for their next train. They carried minimal luggage with them, only a spare change of clothes since Harry could use his magic to clean the clothes they had. While Ed had his red jacket with him, Harry had traded his old black traveling cloak for a newer one, a cloak the same shade of his green eyes. It suited him.

They settled on a bench against one of the walls of the station and Ed let out a yawn as he relaxed. Harry relaxed against the wall beside the bench the brothers occupied, wrapping his cloak around him.

"Brother, do you know what time our next train leaves?"

Ed smiled at the armor beside him. "Yeah, not 'til tomorrow morning. Let's get some shut eye." He said, closing his eyes with another yawn.

A sudden scream ripped through the air, and Harry leapt to his feet, while Ed and Al turned in the direction of the scream. At the other end of the station, a thief with a woman's purse raced through the thin crowd of people. "My purse!" The woman screamed. The thief just grinned as he ran.

"Break's over." Harry stated calmly. The two brothers nodded and stood from their seat. They quickly drew a large alchemic circle on the floor with chalk, and Ed grinned at Harry. "Maybe you should get this one; see if you're any good!"

Harry smirked. "If you insist."

The thief came to halt in front of them, glancing at Al with a wary eye. "Off to bed with you, like good little boys!" He pulled a gun from his waist, leveling the weapon at Ed.

Harry smirked and kneeled, laying his hands on the circle, and watching the familiar glow of golden blue light. The thief stared in surprised, caught off guard. Concrete bars shot up from the station floor, forming a cage around the thief, and knocking the gun from his hands. Ed caught the gun with ease.

"I think you're the one who crawled out of the crib too early!" The thief just stared, eyes glazed over in shock. Ed handed the gun to Al, who drew another, smaller circle on it and transmuted it into a small steel figurine of a cat.

A voice behind them had the three of them looking away from the small-time thief they had just captured. "Nicely done!"

A station police guard stood a few feet away, looking pleased. 'Now that was something else! Your trick there wouldn't be what they call 'alchemy', would it?"

Ed looked a little embarrassed. "Uh, heh heh... Yeah!"

The police officer made an impressed noise. "To think kids your age could be such accomplished alchemists already!" He was genuinely impressed and pleased. "Around these parts, the only alchemist I ever get to see is old Majahol!"

Harry cocked his head to the side. "Majahol, huh?"

The officer nodded. "Yep. They say he does great things for people with his alchemy, like you boys did. He's quite well-respected."

Ed stepped forward. "Where can we find him?"

Worry leaked into the officer's expression, which confused them. "Uh, the next town over... but, you really don't want to go there right now, boys. I've heard it's become a dangerous place. They say the dead have risen from their graves, and are sending the villagers to them."

After the officer left them, Harry managed to talk a carriage into taking them to the nearby town the officer had mentioned, and after a little fuss over payment; they were soon on their way, riding off into the gloomy, overcast night.

"Why are you so interested in meeting this Majahol person, brother?" Al asked as they were jostled a little on the dirt road.

Ed had his arms crossed, concentration tightening his features a little. "That name... that same name that kept popping up in all those old letters!"

"You mean the letters your father sent you?" Harry asked, for clarification.

"Yeah, and if I remember, he wrote about human transmutation. And if it's the same Majahol I figure it can't hurt to pay him a visit!" Ed flashed a small, shadowed smile at both Harry and Al.

Al was quick to agree. "Yeah! I have the feeling this is going to be a good trip."

Ed leaned forward, peering up into his brother's 'face', a knowing smirk in place. "What's wrong? You seem almost happy!"

"Huh? Well, we did snag that purse-snatcher, and then everyone was so grateful to us. I guess I'm just starting to see how alchemy has the power to make other people's lives a little bit better." Ed smiled at his little brother's words, but Harry had a small frown marring his scarred face.

"Be careful, though, for when certain people had a pre-ordained vision of something, they often refuse to see the truth. Alchemy is like magic, which, in turn, is like any common weapon or instrument; the thing itself has no power by itself, and it needs something or someone behind it to use it. It is the intention guiding that instrument that has the power." Harry cast his stare on the two brothers, green eyes glinting. "Alchemy can be used for horrible purposes, just like magic, and that is the way of it. Keep that in mind, and use your alchemy with pure intention, and your words will be true."

Both Ed and Al took in Harry's words, hearing an almost... regretful tone in the older teen's smooth voice. The three of them fell into a comfortable silence, becoming lost in their own thoughts, and for Harry, his memories of the past.

The carriage dropped them off a little ways from the village, too scared of the recent rumors to take them there directly. Harry reluctantly paid the man with some of his silver. Ed was stiff and sore from the fairly bumpy ride and started hobbling down the path while Al carried the small suitcase that carried their change of clothes. There was no one else out in sight.

"Are you alright, brother?"

"Yeah, I'm just peachy; I love turbulent carriage rides and seats as soft as granite!" Ed grunted, placing a hand on his lower back in an attempt to relieve the ache. "It didn't bother you, at all?"

"Nope. Not at all."

Ed groaned, slowing down his pace. Harry just snickered at him. "You complain far too much, Ed. Can't handle a bumpy ride?"

The older Elric brother didn't answer the raven-haired teen, instead looking down into a field nearby. Tents and tables were set up, and torches were lit, with flags everywhere. "Hey, would you look at that? Someone's throwing a party, with torches and everything! But they forgot to invite us!"

He was cut off by an exploding fireworks display directly behind them, a little too close for comfort. Ed was shocked into place, and Al's armor seemed to almost take on facial expressions, one could easily tell what Al was thinking of. Harry whirled around, bringing his hands up to defend himself.

A group of kids climbed up onto the road the trio had been walking along, running after the firework. "That one got a little too close to the village!"

One of them stepped forward, a girl in boys' clothes, frowning deeply at them. "You aren't supposed to be here! This place is off limits! You could get yourself killed!" Ed turned around at the kid's voice, nearly blue in the face with nervous anxiety and surprise. "We're in the middle of testing for the-"

"Yeah, we noticed that!" Ed stated, his shoulders hunched.

The leader of the group of kids continued with her speech. "They're for the festival; I'm in charge." She paused, taking a closer look at the three travelers. "Hey, you guys aren't from around here, are you?"

Al flinched, as one of the kids started poking and prodding at his armor with a stick. "What is this ugly thing? Some kind of giant robot from the future?"

Ed snapped the kid's stick in half. "Quit it!"

The group's leader gave a little smile. "Show them how we welcome strangers."

The other kids rushed them, and Ed tripped over a rock in the road, falling on his face. He had grabbed Harry's cloak as he fell, for some kind of leverage, and succeeded in bringing the older teen down with him with a yelp. Al tried to avoid stepping on the two in front of him, grabbing one of the unlit torches with one hand, but he lost his balance too. Ed twitched from beneath Harry as Al's full weight fell on both of them. The girl in charge of the group settled on top of Al, trapping them from getting up right away.

"Merlin! Al, you're heavy!"

"My back..."

One of the kids laughed. "Heh, we sure showed them!"

A voice rang out from behind them. "What's going on here?" The kids looked up at a man with long dark brown hair that hung partially in his face. He looked tired, with heavy bags under his eyes, making his dark eyes appear sunken into his skull. Harry, catching a glimpse of this man, let out a surprised gasp as his eyes widened in shock.

The man took the broken torch head and with a small flash from a bracelet on his wrist, repaired it. The Elric brothers watched this all eagerly. "You must be... Majahol!"

* * *

A little later, once everything had been cleared up, Harry, Ed and Al were in Majahol's home, sitting at the kitchen table with tea in front of them. The older man seemed quite impressed with Al, seemingly unable to tear his eyes away from the armored shell.

"Such fine workmanship! That's truly an impressive spirit attachment."

Ed gave him a sharp look as Al started to panic a bit. Harry stared at him, green eyes narrowed. This man was shrewd, observant... very much like his old Potions Professor, Severus Snape, in both appearance and personality.

"He knows about me, brother!" Al exclaimed, looking to his brother for an answer.

"I'd expect nothing less from the sons of Hoeinheim." Ed stiffened at the mention of his father, and Harry's eyes narrowed even further. "Apparently you've inherited his great talent." Ed looked away at this, dropping his gaze to the table.

"Now, tell me what I can do for you boys? Surely, you've come here seeking something particular, and I can't very well disappoint the sons of a friend."

Harry crossed his arms across his chest, frowning deeply. He did not like one bit the oily undertone in Majahol's voice. Ed set his cup of tea on the table, still keeping his golden gaze away from the older man. "I've read the letters you wrote to my dad," He raised his gaze, locking with the other alchemist. "I wanna know more about human transmutation."

Majahol appeared startled at Ed's statement. "No doubt you're aware... that human alchemy is strictly forbidden by the laws of the State."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't care! I will return my brother to his body!"

Majahol didn't move at all, staring at Ed. "I think you've already seen hand the incredibly high toll of messing around with human alchemy. I know how it feels to lose someone, but the act of molding flesh is better left to the hands of God."

Harry snorted softly. This man may look and act like his old professor, but he sure as hell didn't think like him. "And you're a hypocrite."

Majahol spared a hostile glance for Harry, dismissing the comment and focusing on Ed.

Al remained quiet throughout this time, but he had noticed Harry's rather cold attitude, and he worried about his new surrogate brother. Edward had also noticed, but he placed that train of thought aside for another time, although he inwardly agreed with Harry's opinion of the alchemist... "Yeah, okay, if that's the way you feel, then why were you so obsessed with it back then?"

Majahol stiffened slightly before a sad almost-smile flitted across his tired features. "Youthful optimism... or youthful foolishness." He said nothing more as a knock sounded at his door. Without looking at the boys, he rose from the table and opened the door, smiling at a tired looking woman, carrying a basket with her.

She smiled at him, her eyes brightening. "Hello, Mr. Majahol, I made a batch of rose jam, and had some extra, so I thought perhaps you might enjoy it."

"Of course, you spoil me, Lenni. You're too kind." He took the small jar from her, giving her another smile.

"Not at all," she said. She stood there for a moment longer than necessary, for Majahol glanced up from the jar she had given him to stare at her with a question written in his face.

"Was there something else?"

"No, I'm sorry. Excuse me." She bowed her head lightly, looking away from the alchemist nervously.

"Well, all right." She left and Majahol shut the door after her. Harry scowled, and Ed and Al only stared at the scene with a vague interest.

Nothing else was said as the alchemist set about preparing dinner, insisting that the three of them stay. Harry accepted his food without comment, merely a nod of acknowledgement, and Ed dug into his meal like he had been without a good meal in months. Al just sat in his chair, trying not to appear nervous or uncomfortable.

"So," He started, speaking for the first time since the alchemist had mentioned his soul attachment. "What's this festival we heard about?"

Majahol gave Al another one of his little smiles, which were starting to annoy Harry greatly. "Ah yes, the Requiem festival. It's when the spirits of the dead are sent up on fireworks to be returned to heaven where they belong."

"What about all these rumors we heard about the dead coming back to life as murderous zombies on a bloody rampage? Did that have anything to with it?" Ed asked around a mouthful of food. Harry looked at him, disgusted at his lack of even decent table manners and tact.

"That was a little graphic for dinner, wasn't it?" Ed flipped him off with a grin. Majahol let out a light laugh, and it sent Harry on edge, grating his nerves.

"Silly rumors of a superstitious town," Another knock at the door interrupted the alchemist, and he glanced at the door curiously. "My, my, I certainly am popular this evening, aren't I?"

He stood once again and opened the door, revealing the girl who had tackled them earlier that evening and a tall man who appeared to be his father. She was surprised to see the three of them in the alchemist's home, clearly not expecting it, and Ed leapt to his feet, pointing an accusing finger at the younger kid.

"YOU! Little brat!" He exclaimed, angry at the girl's appearance.

"Out with it, Klaus," the kid's father smacked him upside the back of the head. "Don't you have something to say to Majahol?"

Klaus broke away from her father's reach, anger painting her face with furious emotion. "But I don't see why I should have to apologize!" she pointed at Ed and Harry aggressively. "It's their stupid fault for being so weak for boys, anyway!"

Al and Harry suddenly found himself holder his brother back as Ed became furious, exploding into hyper aggressiveness in trying to launch himself at Klaus. "WHAT! LET ME AT HER! Come on! LET ME AT HER!"

Majahol recovered from his shock at the display of such an explosive temper, and he looked at the girl. "Klaus... I know your sister's death affected you, but you were once a sweet and gentle little girl. What would your late sister think if she could what you've turned into?"

Klaus glared with deadly intent at the alchemist. "SHUT UP!" Majahol was taken aback by her outburst. "You don't know how I feel! Nobody does!" Klaus looked away, dropping her glare to somewhere on the floor, still very angry. "My sister didn't just up and die... she was killed! By that dead girl!"

This calmed Ed down enough that it piqued confusion and his curiosity, although he managed to hide it. Harry narrowed his eyes; unsure of what to make of the situation, because this was way beyond anything he had heard of before. He didn't know how to deal with what was going on.

Ed blinked. "Okay... come again?"

Tears filling in her eyes, Klaus ran from the house, leaving her father behind as she fled into the night. "Klaus! No, wait!"

She ignored him and continued to run, and Ed ran out after her, Harry following quickly behind. "Hey! Come back here!" Ed's voice rang through the empty night air as he chased after her.

Klaus let out a muffled shout as she tripped over a large rock in the road, falling into the ditch and tumbling down the side of it towards the river.

Ed and Harry stopped their running and the blond alchemist traced a circle in the ground quickly with a twig and pressed his hand against it, activating the transmutation. Blue light arced and jumped down the side of the ditch, hitting the river before Klaus reached it, instantly freezing the narrow body of water completely solid.

Klaus came tumbling to a stop, slamming into the icy river with a grunt. She slowly got to her knees, staring at the suddenly solid river in complete and utter shock, her blue eyes wide.

Still on the road, Ed got to his feet and sighed. He had made it in time. At his side, Harry smiled at the younger boy's quick thinking.

Klaus slowly got to her feet, balancing on the slippery surface of the river, and she turned around to stare at the two boys above. "You're alchemists? And, you saved me?" She grimaced, and made her way back up the incline to where the two boys waited. By the time she got to where Ed and Harry waited, Al had gotten there, too.

She kept her distance a little, and remained standing when Harry suggested that they have a seat and figure out what was wrong.

She kept her head down and her gaze averted at all times. "It's been nearly six months since my sister died. We don't know how or why, one of the villagers just found her, lying there like she was asleep, but she wasn't asleep. And then, on the night of her funeral, while we were at her grave, the wind suddenly started picking up, and my dad and I saw this woman at the tree line. She was just standing there, staring at us. She disappeared as soon as we saw her. My father told me that... she was a woman who lived in the village a long time ago, before she died. Her name was Carine. Don't you see? From there, it wasn't hard to put it together... the dead lady came back to life and killed my sister, and others, too! Because of her!"

Klaus suddenly faced them, a determined shine in her blue eyes. "But, if you guys really are alchemists, you can help me avenge her death! I've tried to get Majahol to help, but he refuses to take part. What do you say?"

Ed regarded her with knowing eyes before turning to look at Harry. He knew that the older teen was itching to say something. Harry wasn't even looking at them anymore, but rather, he focused on a point somewhere across the river. His green eyes reflected a sadness that told of too much loss and pain.

"Revenge does nothing for the soul, and the dead do not come back to life. It is impossible." Harry's voice was low, and it shook with repressed emotion. "I would be the first one to bring back the people I have loved and lost if the dead could be brought back, but I know that it cannot be. Something is going on here that I cannot explain yet, but vengeance gets you nowhere. A friend of mine once swore to kill the woman who was the cause of his parents' insanity. He wasted his life doing so, and in the end, he killed her, and was killed by her husband. He is dead, and he will stay dead. The dead will always stay dead, and completely unattainable."

Ed nodded and stood up. "And I can see why Majahol wouldn't consider it."

Klaus paused at this, shaken by Harry's haunting words. "Huh?"

"Your theory's as logically sound as a ghost tale. Besides, I also don't believe in revenge as motivation, just like Harry said."

"You're just saying that. 'Cause you're nothing but a couple of chickens, posing as alchemists when your nothing but a cowardly pipsqueak with a walking trashcan, and a sword-happy side show freak!"

The three boys twitched.

"Pipsqueak!" Ed's eyes developed a tick.

"Trashcan?" Al was mortified.

"Freak!" Harry's hand twitched closer to Gryffindor's sword and his eyes turned to emerald ice.

"NOBODY CALLS ME A PIPSQUEAK AND GETS AWAY WITH IT, NOT EVEN A LITTLE GIRL!" Ed raged at her, baring his teeth angrily. Al sat hunched over, completely mortified and instantly depressed. Harry tried to calm himself enough into not slicing the girl in little pieces.

Klaus just leered at them. "Oh, is that so? I'm so terrified of the whiny little pipsqueak!"

"SHUT UP AND TAKE A LOOK AT YOURSELF! IF YOU'RE A GIRL, WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE A PAPER BOY!"

Klaus stiffened turned sharply on her heel. "None of your business!" She kicked up dirt in Ed's face and ran off again. Ed and Harry just glared after her, the former growling angrily.

* * *

The next morning, after spending the night at Majahol's home, sharing the sole guest bedroom, the trio confronted the alchemist about their findings from the night before, questioning the supposed ghost.

"Carine? Ah, yes, I remember her." Majahol drifted off into his memories as they sat at the table again. "She was a florist, and the beauty of her flowers was surpassed only by her own. I can't believe it's been twenty years now."

His gaze was haunting and he stared sightlessly at the tabletop. "She had recently succeeded in cultivating the extremely rare blue rose. Oh, the woman's smile at the time was simply..." He had a small smile but it quickly vanished. "But then, on her way to deliver her, by then, famous blue roses into town, the horse drawing her cart was startled by something on a fairly dangerous part of the road, and so she fell to her death that day. She fell out of all our lives, forever." His eyes regained their focus as he dragged himself out of the past.

"But they say that this same Carine had been terrorizing the villagers," Ed started, but the alchemist cut him off.

"Absolutely impossible. We both know the dead don't simply come back to life. And even if they could, if you knew Carine at all, you'd know it would be inconceivable for her to harm anyone in life or in death." Ed made a small noise, whether it was of approval or not wasn't apparent. Harry kept silent as well.

Once the three boys were alone, they started discussing their findings, the older two settling in a contemplative mood. Ed sat down in a chair, arms crossed in thought, and Al remained standing as Harry leaned against the wall, arms also crossed.

"So... what do you guys think?" Al asked.

"Well, I don't buy into ghosts or zombies or the living dead. But supposing someone were to perform a human transmutation, the only one around here who would be capable in such a thing would be Majahol!"

"Well, where I'm from, I came across some information on monsters called the Inferi. They were created by Dark magic, which would reanimate dead bodies, and they would then be under the control of the Dark Lord that created them. Not much is known on them, but it was said that the Inferi were unstable and extremely violent. However, I think it may be safe to assume that since magic is not known here, or anywhere else, that this is not the case here, in the village. Not to mention that this case doesn't even fit the profile of the Inferi." Harry said, staring at the floor.

A very strange and eerie sound rang through the room, from somewhere in the house, and Ed rose to his feet quickly. He opened the door and stepped into the darkened hallway, Harry on his heels.

"What was that?" Harry asked. Ed and Al could only shake their heads in reply.

"You hearing that, or am I going crazy?"

Al stayed where he was. "Hear... what?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I heard it too." Ed growled softly in frustration.

* * *

It was decided, that later that night, the three of them would go out into the graveyard, to check out anything suspicious. This case was really started to irk on Harry's nerves, and neither he nor the older Elric brother could leave this alone. Al, being the youngest of the three, was much more nervous about the whole thing.

Ed held onto a lantern as they made their way into the darkened cemetery, lit only by the full moon. Al almost seemed skittish and Harry was constantly looking around for anything out of the ordinary.

"Brother! Wait for me!" Al hurried to his brother's side nervously, glancing around him fearfully. Ed cast an irritated glance in his direction.

"What's with you? You scared?"

"Of course not." Al sounded a lot more confident than he had a moment ago, but that didn't last. "There aren't really any zombies, are there?" He asked, looking around, his armored shoulders hunched a bit. "Or those Inferi Harry mentioned earlier, right?"

"Don't be thick, Al! If Carine is roaming these woods, then it would only be thanks to human alchemy, which is the only reason we're here!"

"And don't forget," Harry spoke up quietly. "There is no possible way for the Inferi to be here in this world. No one aside from me knows magic. No one has the capacity for it." Harry was trailing behind the younger boys a bit, and thus avoided falling into an open hole in the ground, that was not a grave, which is what happened to the Elric brothers as they fell with a shout.

Harry whirled around as someone shouted out from some bushes nearby. "It worked!" The voice was male, and young.

"We got her!" Another boy shouted, as two boys ran towards him. Harry spotted Klaus, instantly drawing a conclusion. The two boys peered into the large hole.

"Huh?"

"My back! Again!" Ed cried out feebly.

Klaus sighed, turning to glare at Harry. "False alarm!"

But one of the two boys with her stepped back in shaking fear, pointing to the tree line. Harry looked as Klaus did and did a sharp intake of breath.

"O-over there!"

A woman in a white dress stood by one of the tombstones, glowing with an eerie light that almost shimmered. Long dark hair tumbled down her back, and swayed as she turned her head to look at them unseeingly. Her eyes scared Harry the most; they were vacant, completely empty. The two village boys turned tail and ran from the cemetery, wailing in fright.

Klaus seethed in a vengeful wrath. "...Took my sister from me!" The spoken words were quiet, and filled with venom. She took off, charging the ghostly woman with a scream of anger.

Ed and his brother managed to climb out of the hole they had fallen into, and Ed reached out for the girl. "No, wait, Klaus!" It was like she hadn't even heard him.

But, before she could reach the shimmering woman, someone jumped in front of her, a lantern in his hand. It was Majahol! He raised the lantern slightly, and a symbol started glowing on the bracelet he kept strapped to his wrist. A great plume of fire exploded from the lantern, a fierce fireball that quickly engulfed the woman, obliterating her within the flames. She didn't utter a sound. Klaus could only stare at the fiery spectacle.

However, beneath the noises of the raging fire, a familiar, eerie sound was vaguely heard. Both Ed and Harry recognized it. "That sound again," Ed whispered, watching the fire.

Ed looked away from the flames as he caught sight of movement out of the corner of his vision. He looked, seeing a cloaked woman walking off into the shadows of the trees. He would have to tell Harry about it later.

The fire died down quickly, and there was only ashes remaining of the ghost-like woman, and those were swiftly swept away by the light breeze of the night air.

The fire had attracted the other villagers, and once they found out what had occurred, they lit the torches for the festival and gathered food for the tables, celebrating in Majahol's achievement. They thought of the alchemist as their hero.

They had him sitting at one of the tables, drinks abound for everyone, and they toasted to his victory.

"If it weren't for you, this town would be overrun with zombies!" One villager said cheerfully, raising his drink in Majahol's favor. "I knew you'd put her in her place!"

Ed, Al and Harry quickly left the festivities, returning to the house. Along the way, Ed told Harry about the woman he'd seen earlier, and both agreed it was possibly just a coincidence, although Harry stated he didn't believe in such things.

Now Ed and the older teen were examining the halls in the town alchemist's house, knocking on the walls and listening.

This all confused Al. He didn't know what his brother and friend were doing, or why. It didn't make much sense to him. "What are you doing?"

Ed knocked on one of the walls, examining it as it made a hollow sound. "I was right about her not being a zombie, but she wasn't a transmute, either. That sound she made... it's the same one Harry and me heard in here."

A lit candle cast the three of them into sudden light, and they turned towards it with a small amount of surprise. It was the same woman from the other night, Lenni.

"Majahol will be very cross if he finds you here," She said, her voice taking on a sharp tone. "He doesn't like it when people snoop around in his home."

Harry cast a small smirk in her direction. "Really?"

"Yeah? Then what do you call what you're doing?"

Lenni just stared them for a moment, before raising her candle. For some reason, this seemed to affect Ed, and he paled, losing his equilibrium and falling against the wall.

Al reached for his brother. "Brother!"

The wall Ed fell against seemed to collapse in on itself, revealing a hidden room that Ed fell into to. Ed groggily propped himself up, looking around to get a bearing of his new, and unexpected surroundings. Harry followed him into the room, green eyes going over everything.

It was like a library, filled with books, and there were mannequins, life-sized dolls everywhere, propped up against the book shelves, or lying on the floor, and all of them bore the face and appearance of the ghostly woman they had seen burn in the graveyard.

"What is all this?" Harry asked, thinking aloud. Ed collapsed, whatever had been affecting him finishing the job and knocking him out.

"Brother!" Al cried out, watching his older brother fall unconscious. A familiar purple light flashed behind them, and Harry turned, half drawing his sword as he caught sight of Majahol before everything went dark.

* * *

Ed woke with a start, and found that he couldn't move. He quickly realized that he was chained up to his brother, feeling Al's armored body behind him. He cast around for Harry, finding him still unconscious against the wall, where he was in a similar situation, chained directly to the stonewall. Harry's sword was nowhere in sight.

Al turned his head to look at Ed behind him. "Hey, are you alright?"

"At last... he awakens. Now for the other one." Both boys turned at the voice of their capturer. Majahol towered over them with Lenni at his side. "It appears you've stumbled across something you really shouldn't have seen, Edward." He took a moment to stride over to Harry and smack him harshly across the head. With a groan, the older teen opened his eyes, and he was alert in an instant. The alchemist returned to where he had been standing.

"Oh, you mean... the so-called zombies! Yeah, I saw your toys! And so did Harry!" the blond snarled angrily.

"Toys?" Majahol didn't appear to be very sane at that precise moment. "They're canvases, for spirit attachments. Mannequins I've carved into an exact replica of my beloved Carine, onto which I bind the soul of any village girl I can snare! In doing so, I've formed living version of my fallen love."

"It's shocking that plan ever went awry." Ed sneered, glaring with all his might at the alchemist. Harry laughed disdainfully.

"The dead stay dead. And I think that you could never be satisfied with a mere copy."

"It is true that souls tend to reject foreign vessels that are unlike them in nature; they usually malfunction. That's why Al is so special. Some of my dolls escaped, wandering free about the village, fueling the superstitions."

Harry leaned forward, straining against the chains that held him in place. "I can't believe you're such a fool! You idiot!"

Ed strained against his bonds as well. "You crazy selfish nutcase! Do you even know what you've done? Why the hell did you do it!"

Majahol's eyes grew cold and hard, his features like stone, and Harry could have sworn it was his professor standing before him, not the alchemist. "For the same reason any man has ever done anything that is visionary! Carine was the only woman I ever loved, even years after her death, and my scars refused to heal. I committed myself to bringing her back, using the only talent I ever had at my disposal... alchemy!"

Harry stared at him, disbelieving. Again, here was proof that what was in one world, was not the same in another, parallel world. Majahol continued with his little speech, sounding more and more detached from reality. "When my attempts at human transmutation failed, the least I could do was create something that at lest resembled her beauty... I did it for love!"

Ed's eyes grew cold with disgust. "So you chose body over soul."

"Shut up! You're a child! What could you possibly know of love?" The alchemist didn't even noticed Lenni at his side, staring down at the floor, her gaze hidden from view. Majahol smirked. "But you do know something of alchemy, and now you're going to help me with an attachment like you did with your brother!"

Ed recoiled back a bit. "Yeah, right!"

Harry managed to get to his feet, still straining against the metal bonds that held him in place. "Nothing would work anyway! That dead stay forever dead, and once they have crossed over, there is no getting them back! I held Al's soul in place for Ed to do the attachment! That's the only reason why the attachment was successful!"

"And you're an idiot! Anything is possible with alchemy!" Majahol snapped at him, before turning his attention back to Ed. "It figures... you're just as stubborn, if not more so, than your father was." Majahol's tirade was cut off as the door behind him opened slowly.

It was Klaus, and she looked up at Majahol with nearly vacant eyes. Ed and Harry had a sinking feeling that she had overheard nearly, if not all, of everything that had been said in the room. "I just... wanted to thank you for earlier..." She trailed off as the alchemist gave a wicked smile.

"You foolish girl..."

"Run, Klaus!" Ed yelled, but before she could do anything, Majahol had knocked her out, catching her before she fell. Lenni rushed to Majahol's side, touching him lightly.

"It's gone too far; I can't turn a blind eye any longer!" She protested, clutching at him. He shoved her away, throwing her to the floor.

"Then you should try turning the other cheek, wench!" He stalked off, Klaus in his grasp. Lenni remained on the wooden floor, stunned.

"Do something, Al!" Harry shouted, and the animated suit of armor started straining against his bonds, straining the chains until they snapped. Ed jumped to his feet, rushing to Lenni's side. Al shrugged the chains off and performed a touch of alchemy to release Harry from the chains that bound him.

Ed went to help Lenni regain her feet, but he paused, catching sight of something blue in her hair. Looking closer, he saw it was a rose petal.

"A rare blue rose..." He gasped with sudden revelation. He looked to Harry, who had found his sword behind the door. "We have to hurry!"

The older teen nodded briskly, helping the older woman to her feet. "Let's go."

All four of them rushed further into the house, to Majahol's secret laboratory, and it was Al who heard Klaus' scream. "No! Let me go!"

With a bit of chalk, Ed drew a circle and deconstructed the wall. "Let her go, Majahol! Nothing you think you know is the truth! And what you've been seeking all along is under your nose!"

A large circle on the floor was already glowing the familiar purple of Majahol's alchemy, and Klaus was tied to a chair nearby. He barely spared them a glance as he sneered at them. "What is this nonsense?"

Harry withdrew his sword from its sheath, stepping closer to Lenni. "He's trying to tell you that Carine never died!"

"The day of the accident, she hit her head, lost her memory, and started a new life somewhere!" Ed stated angrily, and Harry noticed the stiffening of Majahol's spine, and the twitch in his features. "Twenty years later, her memory returned in a flash, and in a true gesture of love, she came straight back to you, but you were too blinded by obsession to see it was her!"

Harry silently grabbed the cloak that Lenni always wore and pulled it off, revealing her face and the single blue rose that adorned her hair. She stared at Majahol with sadness in her eyes.

The alchemist's dark eyes widened with shock and his transmutation faded instantly.

"Yes, Majahol." She said, confirming Ed's words.

Majahol turned around completely, backing away, his face slack from the shock of this revelation. "It can't be! Are you telling this wrinkled old woman is Carine?" He backed away further, eyes losing face of reality, as his mind seemed to shatter. "Carine was a woman of incomparable beauty and perfection! ... Just like a rose."

"Exactly like a rose." Harry's green eyes were ice cold, his features hard, leaving his ragged scar looking more jagged than usual. "Flowers wither and fade."

"But despite what you've become, her feelings for you have not!" Ed said.

Majahol's face darkened in sudden fury. "Silence, child! Say one more word and you're DEAD!" He grabbed a chisel from the workstation he had used in the past to carve his mannequins, and a bright purple flash of alchemy transformed it into a sword. He rushed them, but Al stepped in front of the group, blocking the blade with his own metal body, and Harry leapt forward, kicking the sword from Majahol's hand as Ed transmuted the rose from Lenni's hair into a blue whip, managing to strike the blade, sending it spinning as it came down, impaling the alchemist in his abdomen.

He was jerked backwards and down, arms flailing as blood spurted from his mouth before he collapsed. Lenni rushed to his side and fell to her knees, his name tumbling from her lips.

His eyes were already losing their light as he stared at her. "I... just don't... see it... there's no way you could possibly... be my Carine!" his eyes moved past her and focused on his mannequin replicas he had carved. "Carine... I'm coming for you..."

The others could only look on at the tragic scene, as tears welled up in Lenni's eyes and she threw her head back and screamed her despair.

* * *

A few days later, the Elric brothers and Harry were waiting at the pick up station just outside the village, ready to be on their way again. Ed stood out in the middle of the dirt road, ever watchful of their ride. He turned around to grin at Al.

"Good to see you're depressed and back to normal." He quipped and Al raised his head to look at Ed directly.

"Huh?" He sighed. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking how alchemy has the power to delude people, too."

Ed smiled softly. "Yeah, I guess it does."

"That is the way things are. Alchemy is a tool, and it is whoever uses that tool who has the power to do anything." Harry spoke up, rising to his feet from his former position of sitting comfortably on the grass. "But come on; the carriage is coming."

Not a second later, a horse whinnied a little ways off, drawing their attention to their approaching ride back to the train station. They were just boarding it when running footsteps sounded behind them.

"Hey!"

At the shout, they turned to greet whoever was behind them and found a girl they hadn't seen, although Harry had a sneaking suspicion. The girl was wearing a long blue dress and her black hair was down past her shoulders, bangs falling in her face a little. She smiled shyly at them.

"I'm sorry about everything I did and said," She looked away, embarrassed. "You guys really are terrific alchemists!"

Ed and Al only stared at her, and Harry had to hide his grin. He recognized the girl's voice. "Uh, yeah, we are," Ed said slowly. "But who are you?"

"Call me crazy, Ed, but... I think that's Klaus!" So, Al had noticed s well. She nodded slightly. Harry couldn't help but snicker at the look on Ed's face.

The two boys suddenly screamed as it dawned on them. Klaus twitched, already flustered enough. "WILL YOU BOYS GROW UP?"

The carriage started moving, and Ed poked his head out the back of the carriage, grinning. "You're definitely much prettier when you don't dress like a paper boy!" He called back to Klaus, who stood in the middle of the road, watching them go. She started waving to them, grinning.

* * *

A/N: Ok, that's the second chapter done! w00t! please, feed my hungry soul and send me reviews! i write faster that way! 


	3. Ch 3 MECHANICAL ARMS

BROTHERS IN ARMS

LADY SHINIGAMI

DISCLAIMER: DUH. THE USUAL, OF COURSE.

CHAPTER 3: MECHANICAL ARMS

A couple of weeks after the Forger incident, and the Elric brothers and their surrogate older brother/guardian Harry Potter were again at a train station waiting for a connecting train leading to Central. So far, their trip had taken a few minor delays and quite frankly, Ed was getting more nervous as the inevitable meeting with the Lt. Colonel came closer.

Al was at a small food vendor with Harry, looking at some bakery products curiously. He pointed at the food items. "These, ah, smell good, right?"

"Of course, they do. We'll get a dozen." Harry said, handing the old woman some money.

Ed was busy at the phone, waiting for line to connect through to Mustang. After a few rings, a familiar voice spoke firmly. "This is Mustang."

Ed stiffened, as though talking directly to the Lt. Colonel. "Uh, yes, hello, Lt. Colonel Mustang? This is Edward Elric, reporting at the train station, sir."

"Easy, kid. Don't be uptight. You know, it sounds as though you've been rehearsing this, or something." The voice on the other end was warm with amusement.

"Sorry! Sir, I mean, Roy, I mean... we're boarding the 9:20 train for Central!"

Mustang chuckled lightly on the line. "Roger that... hey, wait a minute. There's one leaving before that one, isn't there?"

"Yeah, but we had a little detour. I think its already leaving."

"Get on it." Mustang ordered.

"But, what does it matter?"

"TAKE IT OR GO HOME!" Ed jerked, pulling the phone away from his ear at Mustang's sharp command. The train's whistle blew, alerting Ed of its departure. He hung up the phone quickly, running for the leaving train. "Hey, Al! Harry! Boarding time!"

"Now?" Al questioned, although seeing his brother running for the train currently leaving the station, he ran after it as well.

"Change of plans! Come on!"

Elsewhere, in an office in the capital city of Central, an officer in a crisp, immaculate uniform smirked at the phone he had just put down. "Let's test their luck."

The train was speeding along the tracks, cutting shorter the distance until Central, and Ed, Al, and Harry were seated in one of the back cars. Ed was currently munching on one of the buns Harry and Al had bought at the station. "Hmm, I can't get a solid read on this Mustang character yet... what kind of guy do you think he is?"

Harry ignored him, focusing on another book, hungrily learning more and more about alchemy. Besides, Ed was just rambling again... nothing out of the ordinary. Al didn't respond to his question either, glancing nervously at a little girl, maybe six years old, who was peeking over her seat at them. He waved a little, being friendly.

Ed noticed, and looked behind him at the top of the train seat, just as the little girl ducked down again. Al stopped waving and sighed morosely.

"Brother? Am I scary?" He asked quietly, completely dejected.

Ed smiled at him. "Please, you're kindness in a can!"

"Al, you couldn't hurt anything even if you wanted to. Your morals are far too high for that." Harry spoke up, not looking up from his book. This was becoming a regular routine for him. He distantly thought that Hermione would have been proud of him for his new study habits.

"Mommy, look, he's strange!" They barely heard the quiet whisper behind them in the next seat.

"That's not a nice thing to say. You shouldn't say things like that, Mary." The little girl's mother said, lightly scolding her daughter.

"But, mommy! Lookit him! He must like armor a lot to wear it everywhere, even on a train! Do you think he gets hot?" At this, Ed rose silently from his seat, turning around to say something to the girl, but he paused, looking around the rest of the car. There were a few people staring at him and his brother. He smiled nervously.

"Nothing to see here, folks! Nothing out of the ordinary!" Ha sank back down in his seat and sighed. "Jeez! Nobody told us we had tickets to the Normalcy Express!" At the sound of childish giggling, both Ed and Al looked back to the little girl, who was waving at them shyly. Ed grinned at her, and at his brother.

"There! You see, Al? She's not scared, she likes you... right?" He asked the girl, and Harry had to hide his own smile behind his book and chuckled. The girl stopped smiling, looking down at Ed's hand, where the sleeve was pulled back a bit, showing off a little bit of metal from his automail arm. Ed noticed what she was looking at and pulled back his sleeve fully, showing off the sleek metal with a grin in the girl's direction.

"Cooler than skin, huh?" She nodded and her mother pulled her back into her seat with a smile at the boys. "All right, Mary, you've bothered them enough." Her smile grew as she nodded a greeting to the two brothers, which they returned. Al was feeling a lot better now.

Little did they know that things were going to get very interesting very quickly...

About twenty minutes later, a haggard looking man in plain clothes and with short silver hair rushed over to where the brothers and the wizard were sitting. They looked at him curiously, and Harry put away his book.

"He's right! There are two others with him, and the younger one is small..." the man said, and Ed twitched.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO TINY HE CAN ONLY BE SEEN WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS, YOU JERK!" Ed freaked, waving his arms around in a furious, animated state.

The surprised man stepped back, holding his hands out in surrender. "Relax, kid! The Colonel said it, I was just repeating it-!" he stopped short, pulling out a gun instantly pointing it a passenger to his left, but he was also held at gunpoint in the same move.

Ed, Al and Harry could only watch as the man was knocked out by a hit to the head with the gun of the 'passenger' behind him. He fell to the floor of the train car with a thump, and all of the other passengers in the car backed away, cowering.

The two men dressed in dark suits and wearing sunglasses, kept their weapons in plain sight. "No heroes today. Everybody shut up and get your hands over your heads or say hello to a bullet."

Harry glanced at his two younger companions and nodded just the slightest bit. They would play along... for now.

* * *

At Central HQ, Mustang hung up the phone after the terrorist Bald had made his demands for a trade. Behind him, his subordinate, Lt. Riza Hawkeye cast a questioning look at his back.

"You're sure about this? They have the manifesto; they're serious about this. But you know the General's policy on negotiating with terrorists; he'll hold you-!"

Mustang cut her off gently. "Easy, Hawkeye. No one's really negotiating anything with anyone, today. I've already made arrangements." He said mysteriously.

* * *

After a few minutes, the two armed men that had taken over the car had tied up the military man and started searching the passengers for anything suspicious. One of them finally took notice of Al and his armored shell, and the sword Harry carried on his back, and started coming closer to them, keeping them at gunpoint. Harry narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Brother? Harry?" Al asked quietly, his voice wavering.

"Don't worry, Al." Ed whispered, and Harry suddenly knew that the older Elric had a stupid plan that could possibly endanger everyone, but he wasn't in a position to stop him, either.

The terrorists reached them, guns pointed at them threateningly. "Helmet. Take it off."

Ed's eyes widened fearfully and he gestured behind the two terrorists. "LOOK!"

Harry wanted to hide his face in shame. This was the oldest trick in the book... this wasn't going to work!

But, amazingly, the two idiots tore their eyes away from the young alchemists, and seeing nothing, turned back around, and only for one of them to have Ed's knee crashing into his face with a resounding crash, dropping him like a rock.

The other terrorist leveled his gun on the blond alchemist. "Bad idea." He said, but he dropped as well as Al brought one fist down on his head. Looking at each other, Ed grinned.

"You dumb kid, what are we supposed to do now?" One of the other passengers spoke, a sneer in his tone. Harry glared at him. "Don't you think they'll notice when two of their men go missing? And what's going to happen to us then?"

"They'll want retribution!"

"We would have been safe if we had just cooperated until we got to Central!"

"That's right!"

"What were you thinking?"

Al turned to Ed. "What do we do now?"

Ed had the grace to look a little sheepish. "I didn't plan that far."

Harry snorted and pulled his sword free from its sheath. "Of course, you didn't, numbskull. Now, we need an actual plan. Who's up for playing hero?" He asked playfully with a knowing grin at the blond alchemist. Ed grinned back wickedly.

One of the two terrorists started moving slowly, regaining some sense, and he brought his gun up too quickly, pointing it at the little girl and her mother whom Ed and Al had talked to earlier. The two held at gunpoint were terrified, frozen with fear.

Al stepped on his back, knocking him out and the gun went off, the bullet ricocheting off the wall beside the two passengers. Ed grabbed the gun and tossed it out an open window. "Are you guys all right?" He asked the girl's mother, the worry he felt for them present in his golden eyes.

The mother glanced up at him, holding her daughter close. "Yes..." She said, voice quivering at the sudden danger they had been in only seconds ago.

The other passengers in the car had taken their seats again, keeping their heads down in case of any sudden attack or danger. The atmosphere in the car was high-strung, and very tense.

Harry knelt beside the little girl, giving her his best comforting smile. "Hey there, you don't have to worry anymore."

Ed smiled at her too. "Yeah, sorry about that. But your big brothers here are going to take care of this somehow, okay?"

The girl, Mary, had tears in her big sad eyes. She nodded briefly, hugging her mother fiercely. "Okay..." The words were spoken softly.

The three of them started moving to the front of the train car. "We better get started, Al. What plan do you going, Harry?"

"Right."

"Still working on that part, Ed."

"Wait!" It was the bound officer from earlier. "Over here!" He crawled out from where the two terrorists had stashed him. Ed rushed over to untie the man.

"How embarrassing. Who are you kids? Freelancers?"

Harry shook his head. "Nope."

"Just three old-fashioned alchemists." Ed said, releasing the man's bonds. He smiled a little with relief.

"You don't say? Well, I'm Falman, State Warrant Officer."

Harry gave him a sharp look. "A soldier, huh? You don't look like one."

Falman let out a wry laugh. "Yeah, well, there's a reason for that. We've got a special passenger on board. You know, the front car kind."

Ed appeared startled at the revelation. "So that's why these thugs are here, isn't it?"

Falman just nodded silently, confirming Ed's question.

The smaller alchemist grew angry, gold eyes narrowing dangerously. "And they decided to drag us down with them. What's the plan, Harry?"

"You and I, Ed are going on top to throw them a surprise party, and Al, you go with Falman from down here. Classic pincer movement; we'll trap them in the middle of our claws." He smiled wickedly, a grin that Ed matched. Al nodded, agreeing with the plan.

"Yeah, okay."

Harry and Ed left the car at the back end, climbing up on top of the train, and Harry cast a wandless wind repellent charm of both of them. Steadying their balance, both of them started running on the top of the cars.

* * *

Inside, Falman and Al approached the next car over and the Warrant Officer took control of one of the terrorists' radios. Al stood in front of the door leading to the next car, shielding everything behind him with his large, empty metal body.

Falman spoke into the radio, changing his voice a bit. "Get over here, quick! That damn kid-!" He cut himself off, setting the trap.

The door slid opened, and the terrorist recoiled back at Al's height and imposing body. He brought his machine gun up with a yelp.

Al brought a hand up, as if in surrender. "Wait... you shouldn't do that!"

The terrorist ignored him and fired off a few dozens rounds at Al, all of which, bounced off, ricocheting everywhere and lodging a bullet in the man's thigh. He stopped shooting with a scream and dropped to the floor, clutching at his leg in agony. Al sighed.

"I tried to warn you about the ricochet... you'll only hurt yourself." He stopped at the second terrorist repeated the actions of his fallen comrade, also ignoring Al's warning and firing several rounds until, he, too, was shot by his own bullet.

Al sighed in defeat. Again. Why did everyone ignore him?

He and Falman continued down through the cars in this manner, the latter constantly surprised by this kid.

* * *

On the outside of the train, Harry and Ed were slowly making their way to the front car, and even with Harry's repellent charm, they weren't making the best progress from the sheer force of the wind.

"Ed! Down!"

Ed heard Harry's shout and noticed the outgrowing shrub from the side of the cliff face alongside the train, but he couldn't duck in time, the tiny shrub knocking him off his balance, and he fell backwards with a frenzied shout.

He tumbled off the back of the car he was on, closing his eyes to brace himself for sudden death when-!

Someone caught him! Ed opened his eyes and peered at the man who had saved his life.

"You know, there's a real art to train-walking. I'm shocked you made it this far!" The man was dressed rather casually with slicked back black hair, his yellow eyes shielded by square-rimmed glasses.

"Uh, thanks... I guess."

"I'm Major Hughes, and you're Edward Elric, and your friend is Harry Potter, am I right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Mustang told me about you three, and I'm an old friend of his." Hughes said and Ed looked at him with a degree of surprise.

"The Lt. Colonel?"

"Yep. He's always bragging about that silly promotion, too. Come on, Ed; we'd better work as a team. Let's get your friend. Probably worried about you by now." Ed could only stare at this man before he jolted back to reality and started climbing onto the top of the train again. Harry pulled him to his feet, and offered his hand to Hughes as well.

"And you are?" He asked warily. Hughes just smiled disarmingly at him.

"Major Hughes, of the State Military, at your service. You are Harry Potter; Roy's told me about you. You certainly are an enigma, Harry."

"That I am. Let's get moving." He motioned for the Major to lead the way, and they walked along the train until they reached the engine car. Here, Ed swing upside down to the side of the car, and he childishly stuck his tongue out at the terrorist holding the engineers hostage. He pulled back up as the thug turned to look out the side where Ed had been only seconds ago.

Harry heard a very brief, muffled conversation between the thugs with the guns, but Hughes silently shimmied himself into the car, and a moment later, a scream pierced through the howling wind. Ed swung back down, this time into the car, planting his foot into the first terrorist's head. Harry then leapt into the car, just in time to see the two train engineers pummel the terrorists with their fists. He held back a wince. That was definitely going to leave a mark. He used his magic to bind the two terrorists together, startling the Major.

"How'd you do that? That can't have been alchemy!"

Harry smirked. "You're right. It wasn't alchemy."

"Enough! We still have a job to do, so let's get on with it!" Ed said vehemently, climbing back out of the engine car and onto the fuel supply car full of coal. A shot sounded and he ducked, narrowly being missed by the bullet aiming for his head.

Hughes poked his head through the open side of the train car, checking to see if Ed was hurt. He had heard the shot as well. "You okay?" He called; ducking down s he was shot at as well.

Holding onto the steel ladder tightly, Ed pulled a piece of chalk from his pocket and drew a quick, small circle into the side of the fuel car. He tapped the circle, activating the transmutation, turning a portion of the car into a cannon, with a direct feed into the coal that was the train's fuel. He climbed up to the makeshift cannon, releasing a cannon ball at the terrorist shooting at him.

Hughes leaned out the side of the engine car, watching the whole transmutation eagerly. "Aw, man! That was smooth!" One of the engineers shoved him aside.

"Hey, you! Don't mess with that tender! It's the life of this train!"

"Sorry!" Ed yelled back. In a moment, Harry was up on top of the train with him, analyzing Ed's thoughts as he was thinking them. Harry had a vague sense of impending doom at the sudden look of mischievous glee that lit up Ed's features.

"Ed, what are you planning? Do I want to know?"

"Hey! It's nothing too bad!" He drew another circle into the train and activated the transmutation, creating something close to a P.A. system.

"Attention gun-toting extremists! Can you hear me all right? Or did you blow your ears out playing target practice? Let the hostages go! You've got no right to drag these travelers into your personal politics!" Ed had designed this system to hear anything the terrorists had to say as well. Harry was impressed with the boy's genius.

They heard the extremist leader of the group grow angry. "You're one of Mustang's secret agents, aren't you? Interfere, and I'll kill these hostages one by one!"

"You're just itching to draw blood, aren't you? Well, you asked for it!" Here, Ed drew yet another, larger circle and he created a massive pipe into the first car hallway. "All right, passengers, please hold onto your seats, and get ready for some turbulence!"

He released a huge stream of water from the fuel car into the front car, nearly drowning the extremists. By this time, Al and Falman had disarmed and tied up all of the terrorists in the other cars, and Al grabbed the handle of the front car with resignation, knowing that his brother and Harry were bound to come up with a hair-brained plan of some kind.

"Well, here goes," He said, opening the door and releasing a small flood that carried several of the terrorists out with it. Deciding to look as intimidating he possibly could, Al towered over the extremist thugs, clanging his fists together threateningly. "Welcome to the brig!" He said rather cheerfully and he proceeded to pound the crap out of the thugs.

Ed and Harry stuck together as they climbed down the front end of the front car, while Hughes snuck in a bit further down, to trap the leader of the group. He pulled a knife from up his sleeve and opened one of the doors. "Well, just look on the bright side, Bald... you probably needed a shower, anyway!" As Bald rounded on Hughes, the Major let his knife fly- only to have it bounce away from the arm the terrorist brought up. In another quick move, he fired off some shots from a concealed weapon, catching the Major in the shoulder.

"What's the matter? Don't like my company? Before I finish off the General... I'll take care of you!"

"Me first!" Ed shouted, drawing Bald's attention to him, instead of Hughes. Ed jumped down from an open vent on top of the car, just as Harry deconstructed the pipeline Ed had created earlier. Ed clashed fists with Bald, his automail arm catching and containing Bald's mechanized left arm.

Ed glanced at the arm. "Two automails... go figure!"

Bald stared at him, straining against Ed's strength. "You're just a brat! Don't tell me the army's feeding kids into its chophouse now?"

"You're gonna pay for that 'brat' comment, and no one's feeding me into anything! I'm on my own!"

Bald narrowed his beady eyes, a smirk sneaking its way onto his face. "A piece of advice, kid; I used to be in this military, too... it was fine as long as I was pissing in cue, but then I wanted this upgraded arm! They didn't like that, thought I'd be stronger than my superiors! You see, the queen bees don't like it when the workers have a sting they can't control! Shortly after the procedure, they discharged me! Since then, I've gotten a taste for destroying them and the Nation they command!" He slowly started pushing Ed back, gaining the upper hand. "You understand, Kid, you've got an arm just like mine! You've wanted to get stronger too! And the military; they'll just get rid of you as soon as you're not convenient!"

Ed strained further, keeping his ground. "No, I don't understand! AND! Don't you ever lump in MY reasons for this arm!" He pushed all the strength he had into his automail, and he crushed Bald's arm into shattering little pieces, throwing him back and straight into Al. The suit of armor nailed a solid punch into the terrorist's face, throwing him past Ed by a couple of feet. He was knocked senseless, lying there twitching.

Ed grinned at his brother, giving him a thumb's up. Al repeated the gesture, and Harry stepped past bald and threw an arm around Ed's shoulders.

"Good show, kid. You did good."

Hughes had propped himself up into one of the seats, another trusty knife at the ready, but he relaxed and chuckles at the young alchemists. "Well, good grief. That was something different."

* * *

The rest of the trip to Central was quiet, as Ed, Al, and Harry rounded up the terrorists and tied them up. Reaching the Central Station, they also hauled the group out onto the platform, where the military waited.

As the three alchemists gathered up the little gear they had, a familiar voice was heard a bit further up, where they had placed Bald.

"Don't take any lives. That was all I asked. And it seems that you did just as told." There was a carefully placed sneer hidden in those words.

Bald's voice. "So I take it you're Mustang." The three young alchemists watched as Bald freed himself and leapt at someone in full military uniform. They couldn't quite make out who it was, though, from the distance. Moving closer, they saw fire lance up and down Bald's body, engulfing him with fiery explosion.

"That flame! That's awesome!" Ed was impressed by the display, but Harry snorted.

"I could do the same thing with the fire charm." He muttered. As the flames died down, Bald was left scalded and burned, and again, senseless.

"I controlled myself; the damage to your skin isn't nearly as bad as it probably feels. You can call me Roy Mustang, or just Lt. Colonel. Hell, you can call me the Flame Alchemist. Whatever you do, remember the pain."

They could see him clearly now. Ed watched him with determined eyes. "So, he's Mustang." After a moment, he took off running for the Lt. Colonel.

Al reached for him, as if to try and stop him. "Brother?"

"Leave him. He'll be fine." Harry said calmly.

"Hey!" Ed shouted, drawing Mustang's attention to him. "You knew. That's why you made us take this train. You put us at risk on purpose!"

Mustang smirked at the smaller alchemist. "Come on, Ed, you think I got the whole world on strings? Anyway, you should focus on the good news; the General heard about your exploits saving the train, and has decided to make a special exception; he's letting you take the State Alchemy Exam. You're going to be the talk of the military, kid!"

Ed stared at him. "Exception?"

Harry joined him at his side, his scar standing out clearly in the light, and his green eyes flashing. "You misdirected us. You're no better than my old Headmaster."

A threatened gleam shone brightly in Ed's eyes, and he pointed an accusing finger at the Lt. Colonel. "But you always said we could take it; that's the reason we came!"

Mustang raised a slender black eyebrow at the blond alchemist, the smirk still present. "Be realistic, Ed; the State's never let a kid take a military exam before... but I guess luck's on your side. Good thing you took that earlier train, don't you think?" Mustang appeared entirely too smug for Harry's taste, and he growled softly. Ed stared at him for a moment, and rubbed at the bridge of his nose, where he could feel a migraine forming.

As Mustang past, he paused, laying a hand on Ed's shoulder. "Whether or not you take the test is still up to you. I'm not trying to run your life." He said softly, and only Ed and Harry heard him. Ed whirled around, shaking a fist at the retreating Lt. Colonel.

"Of course I'll take it! And pass! I would've done it anyway!" There was no acknowledging response from Mustang, but Hughes flashed them his grin and started after Mustang with a small wave. Al came up to his brother's side.

"Those people had us dancing right in the palms of their hands, didn't they? I guess it doesn't matter what we do; we'll never be the one's in control." Harry did not like those ominous words. Sounded self-fulfilling to him. Ed sighed beside him.

"There they are! Over here! Over here!"

The three of them turned in the direction of the little girl's voice, seeing Mary from the train, her mother standing beside her. Mary was waving to them happily, giggling.

"Hey, Mary!" Al called out.

"Thank you, big brothers! I'll remember you!" At this, the three of them waved back, genuine smiles on their faces.

* * *

A/N: CHAPTER 3 IS DONE! BTW, I'M FOLLOWING THE ANIME SERIES, AND I WON'T BE DIRECTLY FOLLOWING THE SCENES THAT DON'T DIRECTLY RELATE WITH OUR HEROES! IT WOULD JUST TAKE FAR TOO LONG! 


	4. Ch 4: ALCHEMY EXAM: MAGIC

BROTHERS IN ARMS

LADY SHINIGAMI

DISCLAIMER: DUH. THE USUAL.

A/N: THIS CHAPTER'S A MONSTER!! I AM GOING TO TRY AND KEEP EACH EPISODE OF THE SERIES INTO ITS OWN CHAPTER. I WON'T TRY AND SPLIT THE EPISODES INTO DIFFERENT CHAPTERS UNLESS IT GETS TOO LONG, AND EVEN THEN, I PROBABLY WON'T SPLIT ANY CHAPTERS!!!

A/N2: OK, I'M ADDING SOME SLASH IN THIS CHAPTER, OR AT LEAST THE BEGINNINGS OF SLASH. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!! THIS IS A RELATIONSHIP FOR HARRY, TO TRY AND GET HIM ADJUSTED AND SETTLED IN THE FMA WORLD, BUT I WILL TRY AND AVOID FOCUSING ON HIM TOO MUCH IN FUTURE CHAPTERS. THIS CHAPTER WILL FOCUS QUITE A BIT ON HARRY CUZ I'M TRYING TO GET HIM INTEGRATED INTO THE FMA UNIVERSE. I WANT NO FLAMES ON HOW THIS IS STARTING TO FOCUS TOO MUCH ON HARRY! I KNOW THAT ALREADY AND IT WON'T HAPPEN TOO OFTEN! BTW, I LOVE WRITING ROMANCE SCENES! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

CHAPTER 4: ALCHEMY EXAM: MAGIC

It was Major Maes Hughes that brought the three of them to Central HQ for their visit to Lt. Colonel Roy Mustang, and the younger boys were awed at first by the sheer size of the compound. He dropped them off in front of Mustang's office, letting his friend know about his visitors and excused himself to own department with a cheerful wave and that grin of his plastered on his face.

Harry was called into the office first. He had noted the cautious glances to his sword, but he ignored them, taking a seat in front of the Lt. Colonel. Mustang hid a smile behind his hands, which were folded in front of him. He looked the young man over, taking in, for the first time, the appearance and attitude of the young man sitting before him. It had been roughly a year since their last encounter, that fateful night in the Rockbell home, and at the time, he hadn't taken a proper look at this strange man.

He wasn't overly tall, but rather lean and somewhat sinewy, with the physique of a swimmer. His features didn't match up at all with any known race, and that confused Mustang a bit. His eyes were a startling green, very rare and unusual and almost unheard of for eye color, and those eyes were quick and observant. A vivid scar came down the young man's face, over one eye. There were quite a few scars, actually.

"So, Mr. Potter. When I last saw you, you stated that you weren't in any our records, and you were a wizard." Mustang looked very skeptical about this last statement, and Harry smirked. "You were right, about the records. So, I have to ask; who are you?"

Harry nodded obligingly. "Very well. First, I must ask you: do you believe in the possibility of alternate worlds, of different or parallel dimensions?"

Mustang thought about the strange question. With everything that alchemy could do, and everything they still didn't know about the science, the Colonel almost felt inclined to yes to the question. He said as much to the younger man.

Harry smiled grimly. "Good. Because I believe that is what happened to me, sending me here. My name is Harry Potter; I am 18 years of age. My parents, whom I don't remember, were killed a year after I was born, because of a stupid prophecy, and I lived with some relatives until I was 11, after that. On my 11th birthday, I was told that I was a wizard, and was brought into the wizarding world.

"I had the works; wand, broom to fly with, an owl to handle my post, and books to learn from when I went to school. I attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for seven years. A student died at the end of my fourth year at the school, and my blood was used to restore the body of the worst Dark Lord of the century. Now, this Dark Lord was originally running about and creating war and chaos during my parents' time, and I destroyed his body somehow, as an infant. Still don't know how. Anyway, he was brought back, and the war lasted for another three years until I destroyed him last year. I used alchemy, since magic wasn't getting me anywhere, and performed a type of human transmutation. Instead of bringing someone back, I wanted someone destroyed. I lost my leg and the memory of parents, their faces, and their names. And I was brought here, to Amestris." Harry leaned back in his seat, and rested his sword on Mustang's desk. After a moment, Mustang took the blade, withdrew it its sheath, and examined the finely crafted weapon.

"Well, your story sounds just that; a story. But, since there is no proof stating otherwise, I'll go by your word, although, I'm going to have to ask you for a safe demonstration of your... magic. And since I don't anything bad to happen to those two boys in your care, I'll create for you a new file. In fact, I will let you know now what I plan to do about your records, and I'll also have Major Hughes assist me with this. I am going to have you listed as an orphan, left in one of the orphanages in Ishbal before the war. You left the country before the war, but your records were lost. You turned up again in one of the border towns close to Risenbul. You received training from a few mercenary fighters and also started learning the very basics of alchemy. You lost your leg in an accident, and was taken to Risenbul for the famous Rockbell automail, meeting the Elrics there. From there, you can make up what you will, but just be sure that either Hughes or myself know something of you decide is your history. About your magic, well, you could probably figure something out."

Mustang leaned back in his chair, lowering the pen he'd been using to write down Harry's new records. "If I may ask, where did you get this sword? The craftsmanship is superb. A bit antiquated, but superb." Roy handed the weapon back to Harry and the younger man smiled.

"This sword is now well over a thousand years old, and was given to me in my second year at Hogwarts when I fought and killed a basilisk saving another student, my best friend's younger sister. This sword was created and belonged to one of the four founders of my former school, Godric Gryffindor, and I received it because I was a true Gryffindor, even though I also have Salazar Slytherin's gift." Harry's smiled turned rueful, and his darkened slightly.

"What gift would this be?" Mustang asked, never taking his dark eyes off the young wizard.

"I am a Parselmouth; I speak to snakes."

Mustang blinked. And blinked again. "You... actually speak to snakes?"

Harry grinned. "Yup. With the hissing and everything. I once talked to a boa constrictor about life in captivity, and told a viper to back off when it was going to attack a student. It's an exceedingly rare talent, often associated wit Dark wizards, so I went through a lot of suspicion and trouble, even though I didn't know what I was at the time, or exactly why it was wrong. And you know, I am perfectly okay with a demonstration of my... abilities, but at a later date, if possible, and not now. I will, though, let it be said that I have no reason whatsoever to lie to you right now. None. What would it get me to lie to you? Absolutely nothing. Keep that in mind. The Elrics are probably getting impatient now." Harry smirked, and Mustang had to suppress a groan at the thought of the two young brothers waiting outside his office.

Before the Colonel could call the other two boys into the office, Harry had to ask. "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping us, helping me? This is sure to be very risky and dangerous to your career."

Mustang gave him a small smile that vanished almost as quickly as it had come, staring at Harry with those dark, confident eyes. "The Elric brothers seem to leave an impression on those they meet. So do you. The youth is what causes change and progress, and I want to help in any way I can. And I don't want the Elrics to be apprehended for using human transmutation." He finished speaking in a whisper, making sure no one could overhear.

He called the two brothers into his office and once everyone was settled in, Mustang adopted a lazy sort of pose, reclining in his chair and regarding the two younger boys with his usual 'I-know-everything' smirk.

"Sorry about the delay, I was just taking the time to start an official record for Harry, since he has none. Identification reasons and all that." Mustang flicked his gaze over to Ed.

"So, boys... you really convinced you're ready for this?"

"That's right!" Ed smirked, knowing full well that the Colonel was trying to get under his skin. "Just tell me what to where to graduation!"

"Careful, Ed; I'd hate for you to get cocky." Mustang slid a file across his desk and Ed picked it up, scanning it quickly. "As you know, you find your own training; I suggest him."

"The Sowing Life Alchemist, huh?" Ed passed the file over to Harry to look over as well.

"Shou Tucker. Practically wrote the book on bringing things to life." The Lt. Colonel's features were kept expressionless and neutral at this revelation. Ed glared at him sharply, startled by the man's words.

And that's how it started. The three young alchemists were to stay with the Sowing Life Alchemist for the next several months before the Exam.

Roy Mustang personally accompanied them as a prepared car drove them to their new residence, probably to avoid the paperwork that was building up on his desk, or so Harry believed. As they drove through the city streets of Central, the Lt. Colonel gave them some background history on their new 'guardian'.

"Two years ago, Tucker used alchemy to create a chimera that could actually speak our language. Quite a feat." He lowered the file he had on the Alchemist in discussion, and was greeted by Ed's wide-eyed look of... awe? Disbelief? He shrugged mentally.

"How the heck did he do that?"

"Beats me. I guess it was some kind of composite using several animals with different genes. Had the brass in an uproar. Needless to say, he's passed the Exam."

Ed and Al were enraptured with their soon-to-be tutor. "Sounds awesome!"

"Yeah!"

Harry wasn't so convinced. "I may just be paranoid, but anyone can do anything at least once. It could have been a fluke, or something else. Just so long as he has a decent library." He crossed his arms across his chest and stared out the window for the rest of the drive while the other occupants of the car proceeded to further acknowledge themselves with more information about the Sowing Life Alchemist.

At the house, they all piled out of the car, and Roy held them back for a moment. "Now, it's not just the three of you. Tucker also has a four-year old, so be polite."

"What about his wife? Isn't he married?" Al asked.

Mustang didn't answer the question, and his demeanor seemed to grow just a touch colder. "Let's go in."

The two Elric brothers stopped dead in their tracks just a few steps into the gate, staring completely dumbstruck at the house they would call their home for the next couple of months. Harry glanced at the house with a cursory glance and smirked.

"THAT'S HIS HOUSE?! It's so..." Ed trailed off, his voice cracking.

"Yeah, it's pretty big!" Al was in perfect agreement with his older brother.

"The Ancient and most Noble House of Black was far more impressive, and much more intimidating." Harry continued up the front walk alongside Mustang, who rang the bell once reaching the front door.

"Come on, boys! The door's over here!" He called back to the two alchemists, who were jolted out of their stupor. They started for the door, but a rustle in the nearby bushes caught Ed's attention, and he heard a distorted kind of howl, and that was all the warning he had for what happened next.

A strangled scream rang out in the air, and all attention was on Ed, as he struggled to drag himself out from under the biggest dog he had ever seen, which was currently lying on top of him, cutting off his air supply.

Al was alight with amusement, well, as alight as he could be as a suit of armor, anyway. "I guess everything's big here!" Harry was cackling madly in the background. The dog on top of Ed just whined for attention and wagged its tail happily.

A little girl opened the front door of the large house, her large eyes frowning at the dog. A pale, almost sickly looking man stood behind the girl.

"You know that's bad, Alexander!" She said, pouting.

"Oh my. I'm sorry." The man said, the sunlight reflecting off his glasses, bowing a little at his guests. Ed watched them for his position on the ground.

"No problem. Just don't... say 'roll over'!"

The dog, Alexander, was pulled off of Ed, and Mustang escorted the young alchemists into the house, following the man that could only be the Sowing Life Alchemist.

The inside of the house was in disarray; books were in piles everywhere, and everything was in need of a good organizing. The Alchemist picked up a few random books from the floor, apologizing once again.

"Sorry about the mess; we just lack a woman's touch here. Oh! That was sexist, wasn't it? I've been so out of sorts, lately." He smiled nervously at them, gesturing for them to make themselves comfortable where they could.

The little girl, presumably Tucker's daughter with wide blue eyes and brown pigtail braids, rushed over to Al tugging lightly on his hand. "Hey daddy? Bigger brother's clothes are funny; they're like our pots and pans...?" She trailed off before looking up and up at Al's 'face'. "Are they heavy?"

If Al could have smiled, he would have. "That's okay; bigger brother's very strong!" He looked up from the girl, feeling another set of eyes on him.

Mustang saved the younger brother from a potentially dangerous situation, as the Elrics and Harry had decided to keep hidden the fact that Al had no actual flesh-and-blood body. They felt it would only cause them more unnecessary problems.

"Mr. Tucker!" The Colonel gave the other Alchemist a stiff smile. "I'm sure you'll have a chance to talk to these boys about their unusual traits... until then, please, just take them as they are." Tucker focused pale blue eyes on the Flame Alchemist before turning to his daughter.

"Nina, why don't you play in the courtyard for a while?" The girl, Nina, whined a bit. "I'm sure Alexander's lonely."

She looked up at Al with a small smile of her own. "We'll play later, okay?" She said before running out of the room to go off and play.

Tucker seemed almost sad as he watched his daughter leave the room. "Sometimes, I wonder if I have the vigor to raise her right..." He trailed off before focusing on his three guests. "Ah! You're so young to be taking the Exam; I'll be happy to help."

Ed was eager to start with his studies. "And we thank you for it, Mr. Tucker, and to start, we'd love to see that chimera you created."

"The talking one!" Al sounded very much like the child of ten he was, excited and overeager. But at the mention of the chimera, Harry noticed the sharp, but subtle pause Tucker had at the mention of his creation.

The Sowing Life Alchemist looked down, almost forlorn. "I'm sorry; you've come too late. It died shortly after it was made." Both Elrics gasped at this, taken aback. Tucker smiled then, but it almost seemed a little strained. "Besides, studying for the Exam comes first! It's a monster! You'll need more than an overnight cram session to pass!"

Harry glanced at Mustang, taking note that the Flame Alchemist was also watching Tucker.

The Sowing Life Alchemist offered to show them his library, which the younger two of the three eagerly leapt at the chance. It was probably one of the largest rooms in the house, with bookshelves to the ceiling and everywhere; there were books, books and more books. Ed and Al seemed like two kids in a candy store... or Winry in an automail garage...

Ed rushed over to one of the shelves, pulling books down from the shelves at random, opening them and reading them as he went. Harry could tell from where he stood that the blond alchemist was already drowning out his surroundings, completely absorbed in the books.

"This is the reference room; you're welcome to it."

Al looked around with as much glee as the armor could portray. "Wow! I've never seen so many books! And they're all about alchemy?"

"This collection is nothing, really. You should see the Alchemy Floor they have in the National Library in Central. Books are the best tools we have; pass your Exam, and you'll have access to dozens, no hundreds of times more knowledge!"

"Really?" Al turned back to where his brother stood, enraptured by the knowledge at his fingertips. "Brother, we should get started!"

"Too late, Al, he already has. You join him; I'll be right with you two in a minute. I just need to speak with the Colonel a moment." Harry said, flashing the walking armor a smile. Al nodded and joined his brother in studying.

Harry turned his smile on Mustang, nodding politely. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to set an appointment for that demonstration you requested."

Mustang nodded. "Of course. I must get going, though, so if you'll be so kind as to talk and walk me to my car?"

Back outside, the Colonel lightly touched Harry's arm, catching the younger man's attention. "When would be a good time for the demonstration?"

Harry hesitated, feeling the heat of the alchemist's hand on his arm, even through his clothes. "I'd like to get some studying done first, as I still have to catch up to the boys. I only started learning about alchemy during my recovery period after the automail surgery. Let's say... two months from today?"

Roy smiled, nodding his agreement, his smile a little warmer than usual, and less smug. "That's good enough for me. I hope you do well on the Exam, and expect to see Hughes a couple of times. He's taking a liking to the three of you."

"What? No visits from you?" Harry teased lightly with a small smirk.

"Maybe. See you around, Harry." The Lt. Colonel quickly got into the car and drove away from the house, leaving Harry staring after him. Now that he thought about it, Mustang seemed out of character almost... but then again, HE seemed a little out of character. Odd.

With a shrug, Harry headed back into the house of the Sowing Life Alchemist, closing the gate behind him. He wanted a crack at some of those books before dinner. He smiled. He was turning into Hermione.

* * *

It was just the five of them at the table for dinner that night, although Al felt distinctly uncomfortable to be there, not needing to eat. Harry noticed this and surreptitiously used some wandless magic to slowly banish the food in small portions. The Alchemist and Nina didn't notice.

"So, Edward, making progress with your studies?" Tucker asked, making an attempt at light conversation.

"Yes, sir, some... but I've got to speed up! There's so much I don't know!"

"Yes, the more steps we take forward, the longer the path is ahead. But you're so young; you needn't worry about taking the Exam this year."

"No. I don't care what the odds are. I don't care how long the path is; I'm going to take this test!" Ed spoke with a quiet, but strong determination, his features suddenly serious. "I don't make excuses."

"AWW!" Everyone turned to Nina, as the little girl was staring at Al's barely touched plate. "Bigger brother isn't eating his dinner!"

Al was definitely more uncomfortable now, as Nina passed a dinner roll to the armor from across the table. "That won't do! You have to eat to get grown up!"

Al held his hands up in defense. "I think I'm plenty..." He trailed off, the two brothers sharing a look before Al accepted the roll. "Thanks."

Harry watched them, noting the heartbroken look on Ed's face. He knew that the older Elric brother desperately wanted his brother to have his body back... so that he could eat, and feel, and live again.

"This sure looks delicious!" There was a fake quality to Al's words as he raised the helmet a bit.

"Make sure you chew!" Nina said.

"Mmm! This sure tastes great!"

"Good! Now eat the steak!"

Dinner passed quickly and in silence after that, the tension hanging in the air making it too uncomfortable for conversation. The studying alchemists quickly said their goodnights and retreated to the room they would be sharing, taking with them a few books for further study.

In the relative privacy of their room, Harry cast a quick Scourgify on the inside of Al's empty chest plate, banishing the food inside, and cleaning the armor, being very cautious of the blood seal that kept Al's soul attached to the armor.

* * *

Later, as the three of them were lying in bed, although Al didn't really need to be in bed, Al spoke up in the darkness. "Ed? Are you still up?"

"My head's too full with all the stuff I learned."

"Yeah. Ed?"

"Yeah?"

"Get some sleep; you shouldn't worry. You're smart and determined. You'll pass."

"Maybe."

"It's nice here, though, isn't it? Kinda like before." Ed smiled at his brother's words. Harry kept quiet from where he lay watching the two brothers, not wishing to intrude on the moment.

* * *

After that first night in the Tucker home, the days passed quickly as the three studying alchemists pored over books and research, learning everything they could. The days grew colder, reminding Harry of his former home of Hogwarts, but he banished those thoughts to continue and further his training.

About a week before Ed's birthday, two months after they had come to the house, something the older wizard was sure the blond had forgotten about, Harry had to travel back to Central HQ for his magical demonstration. Mustang had called the house earlier that week to make sure Harry remembered the appointment, and he sent Maes Hughes down to pick him up, as well.

Harry was dressed in his jeans, and a thick black sweater, with his green cloak wrapped around him for warmth, and he wrapped the cloak tighter around him nervously. Hughes was prattling on about his soon-to-be-born daughter, waxing on ridiculously but Harry tuned him out at the Major led him to the examination room. He carried only his sword with him, as it was almost like a wand, being a magical focus, and the closest thing he had to an actual wand.

"Well, we're here." Harry focused on Hughes, noticing that they had stopped in front of a large door. The Major was smiling at him reassuringly. "Good luck, kid, you'll do fine. Don't worry about your records, either. I took care of them." He then retreated back the way they had come, leaving Harry standing nervously in front of the door. With an intake of breath, he slowly pushed opened the door, stepping into the darkened room.

A spotlight shone down in what Harry guessed was the center of the room, and he stood in it, unsheathing his sword. He waited for something to happen.

Another spotlight lit up three people, officers in the Military, and Harry recognized Roy Mustang, who nodded at him with a slight smirk in acknowledgment, and he also recognized the Fuhrer, King Bradley. Harry had not liked the man's title at all, not one bit.

The third officer was intimidating and cold. He regarded Harry with contempt and Harry felt the urge to shy away from this man, feeling something very wrong and sinister with this man. But he did not give in to his urge.

Bradley smiled at him easily. "Welcome young one, and thank you for coming today. I understand that you are studying to become a State Alchemist, so I apologize for taking time away from your studies. Now, Lt. Colonel Roy Mustang has filled me in on your abilities, and how they differ from alchemy, but I would like to see a demonstration anyway. Would you care to explain to us what exactly your abilities entail, and if there is a possibility that you are not the only one with your talents?"

Harry nodded. "I call it magic, and I do so because it almost defies logical explanation. It was always something that I could do, a special talent of mine." He said keeping in mind the conversation he and Mustang had shared two months previous. "Magical theory was not something that anyone knew about, even a little, but I would hazard a guess that magic is generally just a different type of energy. Every living thing has it; whether or not one can access it is another story, and that requires something extra, perhaps something in the blood. I have considered the notion that my gift could be genetic, but I have no way of proving that notion, and nothing to compare it with. I believe it is the manifestation of some kind of inherent alchemy, but it works somewhat differently.

"Magic could almost be a different type of alchemy, but it seems to follow a different set rules from the traditional practices of alchemy, and there are a few things that can be done with alchemy that can't be done with magic, but magic takes less study. Magic is inherent, I guess. Magic doesn't need any ingredients to do anything. From what I have managed to accomplish through my talents, magic has a large variety of uses, from household cleaning to healing to... any result, really. It can conjure out of thin air. I'm not sure how this works; it just does. I really must admit that my knowledge in the magic itself is truly lacking, but there seems to be no one to learn from. Most of what I have managed has come through trial and error, and so far, no one I've come across has been able to perform magic. I really only know how to use my gift, and mostly for the offensive and healing."

The Fuhrer leaned forward in his seat, a smile in his eye. "Why just those two aspects?"

Harry smiled almost nervously, his mind rapidly trying to come up with a believable excuse without revealing the true nature of his power. He really had the feeling that he did not want anyone in the military know the truth about his magic, which would lead to questions of where his magic originated, and that would be complicated. "Well, I don't remember much of my childhood, but I was almost always traveling, never staying in one place for too long. I was found as an infant in Ishbal before the war, or so I have been told, but I left, or was taken away from the orphanage I was staying at. I think a mercenary group raised me, although I didn't know it until later, shortly before I met the Elric brothers." He hated making things up as he went, knowing full well that anyone who knew him would easily be able to see through his lies.

Roy came to his rescue, as the whole process was starting to drag on. "Well, enough of that; no need dragging out bad memories. If I may suggest, we should ask for that demonstration now, as we are keeping you from your alchemy studies, don't you agree, sir?" This last comment was directed at King Bradley.

The Fuhrer nodded, beaming at Harry. "Of course, let's get a move on! That was good thinking, Colonel. Harry, why don't you show us a few things with your magic before we send you back to your training and studies." This was a command, not a request.

"Certainly, sir." Harry bowed lightly, and he raised his sword. "Now normally, a wand, or something similar would likely be the best choice to use as a focus for magic, being far more wieldy, but I chose my sword as a focus, since I was always traveling. It's more difficult, using a sword, but I found, again through trial and error, that my sword seemed to work better than a wand would for my gifts. Now, I will demonstrate a few tricks, and we'll see from there."

He spied a glass of water beside the Lt. Colonel, and he smirked. With a quick, barely-spoken incantation, he transfigured the water glass into a vase of lilies, and summoned it to him. He removed a single white lily from the small bouquet and levitated it over to the Fuhrer, who accepted the token with another one of his smiles.

"That there was simple transfiguration, not to be mistaken or confused with transmutation, followed by a summoning charm and then a simple, easy levitating charm that I figured out when I was eleven. Most of my magic is used by force of will, meaning that I have needed to be very comfortable and familiar with my own mind and soul, and I have done a great deal of mental exercises for a complete effect. Next I will show you something which allows one to conjure a sort of protector against most things or creatures that thrive in the darkness or feed on the negative emotions of others."

He paused, browsing through his memories for a happy one, and he remembered his third year, knowing that he could cast a Patronus, and he also thought about his time with the Elric brothers, and the memory of meeting Roy Mustang flittered through his mind as he whispered the incantation.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The stag flew from the tip of his sword, and he recalled that it was his father's animagus form, although he could not actually recall his father's face, or his name, but there was something different about his Patronus now. The stag was still as majestic as ever, but it looked like its antlers were made of fire, the silver flames casting mercury light into the dark shadows of the room.

"The Patronus, as I call it, is unique to the caster, I believe. I think the magic will bring into creation a manifestation of your inner guardian creature, based on your values and morals and personal traits, and to create a Patronus, one needs a happy memory and the force of mind, an urge to protect, no matter what happens. All I remember is that this is the creature my father was often associated with. That's all I know of my own family." The stag returned to Harry's side and nuzzled against the wizard's outstretched hand, bringing a sad smile to the teen's features before fading away.

"I have spent close to fifteen years exploring the depths of my magic, and I have been trying to sort through it all logically for the past eight years. I still have no idea why I seem to be the only one able to use such a gift, but I am trying to make sense of it. Like I said, very similar to alchemy, but at the same time, my magic is very different." Harry sheathed his sword and waited for the three officers to say something.

"Can your magic be used to attack people? Can it be used in war? To cause harm and mayhem? Can it be used to destroy life?" The third officer, who hadn't spoken at all during the interview, spoke for the first time, and Harry bristled at the barely veiled accusations in the man's tone.

"Of course, just like anything else, including alchemy! It depends on the caster on how magic is used. I, personally, will never use my magic to deliberately attack anyone, including the Military. I have lost far too many things that are precious to me to waste my talent, my gift, and my time on harmful intentions, but I will not hesitate to protect my new family and my life here. You have been warned, and your accusations are unnecessary." Harry glared at the bigger, far more intimidating man, whom he didn't find intimidating at all, now that he was used to his presence, after knowing Severus Snape for several years, although this man seemed much more sinister than Severus had ever been. He noticed that Roy openly smirked at the other officer.

The Fuhrer cut in before the third man could reply to Harry's words. "Well, that's enough for us, I think. Don't you, Brigadier General?" The man nodded stiffly, sending Harry a glare of his own. "Well, Harry you are free to continue on with your studies, and I do hope you have success. However, before you leave for your current residence, allow me to grant you a name that we may know you by here in Central HQ, for I wish we will see you again, even if you happen to fail the alchemy Exams. I hereby give the code name 'The Magician'. Identify yourself by that name and you will have almost all access to our libraries, and it will give you a chance to visit. I hope to meet you again sometime soon, and I may, Lt. Colonel, could you be so kind as show this young man out? Have a good day." The lights in the darkened room were lit and Harry bowed to the Fuhrer lightly and left, walking briskly through the halls, trying to calm himself from the Brigadier General's words. He really wanted to avoid that man at all costs.

"Harry!"

He stopped and looked back at the sound of his name, and he smiled at the Lt. Colonel. He waited for the alchemist to catch up to him, bowing a little as the man reached his side.

"Harry, are you alright? Ignore the General; he's like that all the time."

"Thank you. I'll be fine. Even though it's been a year now, the memories from my war are still very fresh, and I don't know who survived."

Roy touched his arm lightly, gently prodding Harry forward. "Come on, I'll take you home," He smirked suddenly. "Anything to get away from the paperwork I have to do!"

Harry managed a light chuckle at that, and they started walking. "So how do you think I did?"

"You did good, I know, and you came up with the details so easily. The Fuhrer was impressed with your abilities, and he wasn't concerned about your past at all. Not that anything we put on your records was truthful, but he didn't seem concerned at the holes in your 'history'. It's like nothing fazes him. Say, was there any truth to what you said about magic?"

Harry smirked. "The best forgeries always contain some semblance of truth. I didn't exactly lie about anything, but I also didn't tell the truth, although it was difficult to do. Anyone who knows me very well would have been able to see through my words, easily."

They talked quietly as Mustang led Harry through the large building to the front entrance, where a car was waiting to Harry back to the Tucker residence. The Lt. Colonel was walking just a bit in front of the younger wizard when it happened. Harry tripped on a small crack in the ground, stumbling forward with a yelp. Mustang heard him and turned around, catching Harry as he fell, but Harry's sudden extra weight brought them both to the ground, and the snow that had fallen the night before cushioned their fall.

Harry landed on the older man, and he felt, just for a moment, the lightest of feathery touches on his lips. Had he just kissed Roy Mustang!! He scrambled back, falling on his ass, blushing furiously as Roy sat up, rubbing the back of his head. He, too, was blushing, realizing what had happened.

Ever the gentleman, Mustang got to his feet and helped Harry to stand, and his hold on the teen was a touch longer than absolutely necessary. This did not go unnoticed by Harry. He blushed again.

"Um... sorry... about that. It was an accident. It... won't happen again."

A light pink tinge slightly colored the alchemist's cheeks. "Not at all. Come on, the car's just ahead; I'll drive you home."

"Thank you."

The drive back to the Tucker residence was a little awkward, but at the same time comfortable. They managed to talk about a few things and as they pulled up in front of the house. Roy even walked Harry to the front door, which he didn't have to.

Just as Harry was about to enter the house, Roy grabbed his arm lightly. Harry looked back at the alchemist, curiosity bright in his eyes.

"Harry, I have to tell you now; I am a notorious skirt-chaser, but, I didn't mind that kiss, accidental as it was. There was... something I liked. I think we need to talk, after a little time alone to gather our thoughts."

Harry could only nod in reply. He smiled a little awkwardly, surprised at what he was hearing. "...Alright. Thank you for not making this too awkward. That's never happened before."

"Don't worry about it, Harry. You should get inside; you have some studying to catch up on. I'll see you around." Roy casually waved as he walked back to the car, leaving Harry on the front step staring after him.

Once the car was out of sight, Harry opened the door and entered the house, retreating to the reference room where Ed had holed himself in to get some studying done himself.

In the library, Ed looked up from his current book as Harry walked into the large room, his head down in thought and with his sword strapped to his back, and he was wearing his forest green cloak too. Had the older teen gone somewhere?

Oh yeah... Ed remembered that the teen had gone down to Central HQ for a demonstration on his magic. He wondered briefly what he had told the military about his magic, but he dismissed those thoughts as he got a closer look at Harry's expression as the older teen settled on the floor nearby with a thick tome in his lap.

Ed wondered briefly if he should have volunteered to accompany Harry down to HQ today, for moral support, considering he and Al very nearly thought of Harry as their older brother. He wondered what had happened during the demonstration, and he wondered why Harry looked so... distracted.

Setting his book down beside him, Ed got up and went over to the raven-haired teen, who didn't even notice his approach. He sat down beside his older 'brother' and poked him in the arm.

"What's up, Harry? You're so distracted even I noticed." He said, and Harry winced. Has he been that obvious? Apparently.

"Something just... happened, after the demonstration. I just need to wrap my mind around it."

"Something bad? Can you tell me?"

"Don't worry about it, Ed. It was actually something good, I think. And you've got studying to do; I don't want to distract you too much."

Ed grinned. "Ah, I figure that if you're so caught up that you distracted me already, then I need a break. At least, a small one, anyway. Be thankful Al isn't even in the room, or he'd be having kittens worrying since you don't normally worry about much."

Harry had to smile at that. Al always was such a mother hen. Reminded Harry of Hermione, actually.

"You sure you won't tell me what's on your mind?"

Harry nodded, his smile growing wider. "Yes, I'm sure. Thank you, though. I don't suppose you'd be interested in studying with me? I do have a lot to catch up on, anyway."

"Sure, is there anything you need help with specifically?" Ed asked, grabbing another book from one of the shelves that surrounded them. Harry shook his head.

"Not really, I just need to speed up my studying, and I always seem to absorb the material better when you're around. I call it 'alchemy through osmosis 101'." He grinned, green eyes dancing with amusement.

Ed rolled his eyes. "At least I'm useful for something." He grumbled half-heartedly. "So how'd the demonstration go today?"

"It went smoothly. For some reason, we have a Lt. Colonel and a Major, both of whom we've met, who have take an interest in our lives and our well being. They created records for me, and they are keeping quiet about the circumstances of my arrival. Other than that, I impressed the Fuhrer with my magic, and I made him believe that my magic is just a gift only I have, and I gave him the hint that it might be genetic, and since I'm technically an orphan, it's nothing that can be exploited and abused. He, and a Brigadier General that I would prefer avoiding at all costs, swallowed it up."

* * *

After Harry had filled both Ed and Al in on his demonstration, the week passed quickly as they settled into a routine of study. Al was prone to taking time away from studying all the time to play a little with Nina and the dog, Alexander. And as much catching up Harry had to do with his own studies, he wasn't like his old friend Hermione or like Ed and had to take a step away from the books once in a while.

The weather had gotten colder to the point of more and more snow falling on the ground outside. It was still mild compared to the winters Harry had seen at Hogwarts, but he wasn't complaining as he stepped out into the sunlight. He smiled as Alexander bounded up to him, a ball in his mouth. Yeah, he could spend some time with the dog. He liked big dogs. Like Padfoot.

Surprisingly, the memories of the places he had called home before no longer stung, and he felt relieved. Shaking his head a bit, Harry shrugged his thoughts aside as he ran out into the snow, chasing after the large dog.

After several hours, a clock within the house began to toll, and in the library, Ed looked up from his current book with a frown.

"Oh no, it's that late already?" He put his book back in its place on the shelves, and stood up. "Yo, Alphonse, Harry? Where are you guys?"

Alexander's barking from outside drew the small blond outside. "Let's hope the dog hasn't mistaken Al for a fire hydrant." He said, rather sarcastically. He shoved his books aside and moved through the house, pushing open the front door and stepped outside. He blinked and shielded his eyes at first from the harsh glare of the sunlight on the snow. "Al? Harry?"

"Hey brother!" Getting used to the bright winter light, Ed saw Al playing with Nina in the snow as Harry wrestled with Alexander. Nina beamed at him from her place in the snow.

"We made angels, brother! Come look!" Ed stared at the mostly fresh, untouched snow that lay on the ground, only slightly trampled from where the others had played. A wide, slightly maniacal grin crept its way onto Ed's face and he leapt from the front step into the snow with a yell.

With a laugh, Harry pulled away from his wrestling match with the giant dog and tackled Ed, doing his level best to shovel some snow down the back of his shirt, and Nina threw a snowball at them, giggling when Alexander intercepted the poorly made ball.

The theatrics settled down after an hour or so, and the humans lay in the snow, staring up at the clear blue sky above, breathless with rosy cheeks from their fun and the chill in the brisk air.

"I wish you could stay," Nina said, speaking up after they had managed to regain their breath. "I mean, after you pass the Test. It gets lonely with just Dad." She said, and Ed moved to watch her, supporting himself on his elbow.

He grinned and got to his knees, breaking a twig from one of the bushes that lined the property. The others got up from where they in the snow, Harry watching Ed with curiosity. Nina stood above the young blond, staring.

"Whatcha drawing, little big brother?" she asked.

"A transmutation circle. You see, if I have a wish, it helps it come true." It was one of the simpler, more basic circles, and Al and Harry wondered briefly what Ed was doing. "Now, watch this." Ed carefully placed his hands on the fragile lines of the snow-drawn circle, and familiar blue light brightened the circle.

Almost immediately, small vines grew out of the frozen earth as Ed transmuted some flowers for Nina. Warm smiles graced both Harry's and Ed's faces as the four year old lit up with joy.

"You made me magic flowers!" She watched as Ed placed a crown of transmuted flowers on her head.

Harry looked up, smiling as he watched Maes Hughes walk casually towards them, an easy-going smile on the Major's lips. "Decent work." Was all he said as he crouched down near them, drawing the attention to him.

"Major Hughes!" Ed said.

He grinned, bringing a hand up in a casual greeting. "Hey, I came for you, Ed. Gotta keep you from studying through your birthday, you know."

"He's right, that's today!" Al said, and Ed stared at the likable Major in confusion.

"How did you know that? I haven't told anyone yet." There a certain amount of awed disbelief in his voice and Harry smirked, enjoying seeing Ed so off guard and surprised.

Maes chuckled lightly. "I'm in the Investigations Department. Wouldn't make much of a Major if I couldn't handle that." Nina's face fell. "Don't look sad!"

The Major grinned widely. "I can't throw a birthday dinner and not invite his friends, right?"

Harry grinned, shoving the younger Elric forward into the snow. "You little twerp! You never told me your birthday, either!"

Maes gathered them up and ushered them all into the car, leaving Alexander behind in the yard. He personally drove them to his house, and once inside, he introduced them to a very pretty woman.

"Welcome, kids. I've heard lots about you." She said with a pleasant smile, her teal eyes very warm and welcoming.

"This is my lovely wife, Gracia." Maes said proudly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Harry shook his head as the other three stared at Gracia's stomach; of course he had noticed...

"Your stomach's a melon!" Ed yelped and Harry smacked him upside the head.

"Haven't you heard of tact?" He asked the blond.

"Yes, yes!" Gracia took everything in stride, blushing slightly.

"You're having a baby? Soon?" Al asked.

"Any day. There's a big fuss inside my belly, saying she wants to come out and see the world." Ed, Al and Nina stared at her expanded belly, the boys with strange expressions, unsure what to say. "Wanna feel?"

Both boys jumped back, looking entirely grossed out. "Ew, heck no!"

Harry twitched and smacked Ed again, moving forward, his hand reaching out hesitantly. "You have no manners, Ed. I would like to feel, if I may." Emotions flashed through Harry's green eyes and Nina beamed.

"I do, Mrs. Hughes!"

Gracia smiled warmly at both of them. "Well, go ahead, Nina, Harry."

Nina placed both her glove-covered hands gently on Gracia's belly, and Harry very lightly placed one hand on her belly, slightly above Nina's hands.

Tears welled up in his eyes and Nina spoke after a moment. "I felt it; it moved! It feels funny!"

"I felt the baby, too." Harry's voice was soft, tremulous. "I've always wanted for a family of my own..." He said in a soft whisper before taking his hand away.

After that, Gracia and Maes hustled them into the dining room, where the Major started bringing out platters of food for dinner and soon, the atmosphere was very warm and happy. The conversation was light and carefree, and the three Alchemists-in-training found themselves greatly enjoying their time away from the books and just generally having fun.

Presents were brought out, most of them books on alchemy for studying, but a few of them were clothes from Gracia, and cake was brought out as well. Maes was constantly teasing Ed, and Harry held a conversation with Gracia while Al and Nina laughed at Ed, and Nina got whipped cream on her face as she ate her piece of cake. The entire affair gave off the feeling of 'home'.

After a bit, Gracia went to the kitchen to get another pot of tea for her guests. "Who wants refills on their birthday tea?" She asked and the others surrounding the table smiled.

"Sounds wonderful!" Hughes said, casting a smile in his wife's direction. That smile dropped fast when Gracia collapsed to the floor with an agonized yelp, her pretty, warm features twisted with pain. "Gracia!" Hughes ran to her side, kneeling and he grabbed her shoulders.

"Honey... its here!" She said, her words tight.

"What? The tea?" Hughes asked. Gracia leveled a glare at her husband that scared Harry nearly shitless. Very smooth, Hughes!

"The Baby!" She growled out and Maes jumped back, jaw dropped in surprise and a little fear.

"But the doctor said next week!"

At the table, everyone froze at that proclamation. Al looked as shocked as animated armor could get, which, surprisingly, was very shocked, and Nina watched the adult couple as helpless as a four year old could, while Ed stared in what seemed to be abject horror. Harry was just as shocked as they were, and he couldn't of anything to do about it, either.

"Well, the baby just said now, and I'm pretty sure SHE gets to decide!!" Gracia snarled, completely opposite of her usual demeanor.

"O-okay! I'll get your bags!" Hughes said, panic sounding in his voice, but Al pointed out the window, horrified.

"But the snow! It's a blizzard outside!"

"Right!! You can't leave! I'll bring the doctor here! You kids help her!" The Major was already dashing out the front door as he panicked.

Ed rose from the table, panicking himself. "Wait! How are we supposed to do that?" But it was too late; Hughes was gone.

"I guess... this c-counts as pa-party games!" Gracia quipped from her place on the floor. Harry jumped to his feet and rushed to her side, carefully helping her to her feet.

"I can't believe you just said that." He muttered. "Come on, let's get to the couch, where she'll be somewhat comfortable, at least!" Al held open the door for them and Nina rushed into the other room, grabbing a blanket from a closet when Gracia told her too.

Harry settled her on the couch and he draped the blanket over her. The pain seemed to pass for the very pregnant woman and she regained some of her composure.

"Ed, I'm pretty sure we'll need hot water, do you think you can get some in here?" She asked, smiling as Al got her a big pillow to rest against. "The biggest bowl you can find, if possible, please."

The blond alchemist rushed from the room to complete the task and a few minutes later returned with a large bowl of steaming hot water. "Ok, I've got the hot water bowl!" he announced and Gracia smiled.

"Thanks Edward, set it on the floor, next to me." Ed did as asked, and they all stood around her.

"Ok, what else?"

"Well, let's see, I guess I'll need a lot of fresh towels." Gracia said and Al nodded, turning away to get to towels.

"Ok, I'm just glad your pain has passed." He said, but no sooner than the words had left his helmet, Gracia started convulsing again with the contractions and Harry grabbed her hand in his. Ed and Al just stood there for a moment before looking at each other helplessly. Nina stood away from the couch, trying to stay out of the way.

"Al, the towels." Harry reminded the suit of armor.

"Right." He ran from the room, and returned quickly with an armful. He set his load down and glanced out the window, where the storm raged on, relentless.

"He's been gone for so long."

Ed glanced out the window as well. "Yeah. He probably had to walk."

Gracia tightened her grip on Harry's hand, causing him to wince painfully as another contraction hit her hard. Nina had taken the time to wipe away the sweat that was building on the older woman's forehead, jerking back as she screamed from the pain.

"Ahhg!! Ow! Oh, I can't take this! I'm dying!!" She nearly snarled the last sentence out and the others panicked. Harry couldn't panic because of the very tight and STRONG grip Gracia had on his hand.

"What are we supposed to do? She said she's gonna die!" Al cried, moving around stupidly in his panic. Ed was horrified and poor Nina stared.

"But that's just an expression!!" Ed yelped, hoping against all hope that he was right.

Harry hissed at the sudden release of his hand, but he still held Gracia's hand as she blacked out. Even so, he panicked, completely out of his element.

Nina screamed and started crying. Ed and Al started running around like chickens with missing heads in their own panic.

"Listen!! She's not dead; she just fell asleep!" Ed yelled, trying to control his rising terror and panic.

"I don't know; if you think of it like alchemy, making a life is expensive; you'd have to give something up!"

"Childbirth's not alchemy, you dope!!" Both Harry and Ed declared in unison.

Gracia twitched and moaned as another contraction hit, clenching Harry's hand and halting the panicked yelling. "Look!! She's alive!"

"Can I do anything, Mrs. Hughes?"

"You could... all stop yelling!!"

Ed brought his hands together in a quiet clap, wracking his brain for something that could help. "Damn it all! Alchemy is the ultimate science! There's has to be a way it can help her!"

"Little big brother?" Nina's soft voice broke into Ed's thoughts. "The water's very cold." She pouted, one hand in the water, testing it. Ed dropped down beside the hot water bowl and grabbed it on both sides.

A flicker of very familiar light and the previously cold water in the bowl steamed suddenly and instantly brought to boiling.

"Ed!! What did you do?"

The blond looked up at his brother, and Harry stared, speechless. "I have no clue!"

"You heated the water! Alchemy! Alchemy without a transmutation circle!"

"I don't know! I just used my head!"

Gracia screamed again, convulsing a little under the contractions and Harry regained his use of speech. "That's all fine and dandy, but we have bigger things to worry about!" He snapped as his hand, trapped in Gracia's steel grip, felt like it was near the breaking point.

"AHHH!!! I can feel its head now!!"

Everyone in the room panicked again, and the Elric brothers and Nina backed away quickly against the wall, screaming with blind panic.

"AHH! She can feel its head?! What does that mean!!"

"Deliver it!!!"

"I'm not touching baby stuff!!"

Oh so very thankfully, soon after Ed's use of alchemy without a circle, Maes returned with the doctor, and he was able to deliver the little girl. Also, Maes had taken Harry's place beside his wife and Harry was able to massage his nearly broken hand, and the storm outside abated until it was just a gentle snowfall.

After the delivery, which none of the guests really wished to watch, Gracia held a beautiful baby girl in her tired arms, a soft beaming smile on her exhausted face. The Major was crying tears of joy and bliss at the sight of his baby daughter.

"I can't believe she's so beautiful, Gracia!" Hughes said, a goofy grin plastered to his face. Harry, Ed, Al and Nina stared in awe at the crying little bundle in the formerly pregnant woman's arms. The doctor who had delivered the baby just smiled as he cleaned himself up.

Gracia gave one of her signature motherly smiles to the alchemists in training the little four-year-old girl. "Its all thanks to you kids. I wouldn't have done it without the other birthday boy and his friends."

Ed grinned, embarrassed. "We didn't do anything."

"Other then panic." Harry added.

But Gracia shook her head, nuzzling her little daughter. "No, you were right by my side." She sighed and the boys grinned while Nina timidly asked to see the baby.

Soon, it was time to return to the Tucker home, and Nina was already sleeping in the car, exhausted by the excitement of the day. Quietly, having getting the little girl to bed, the three alchemists in training retired to their room, quickly getting into bed for a good night's sleep.

As they lay in their beds, drifting slowly into sleep, Ed spoke up. "This alchemy stuff didn't really help her at all; nothing a hot water heater couldn't do."

"Yeah." Al agreed. Harry stayed silent, but there was a smile on his face.

"Now moms, on the other hand; there's your miracle. Gracia did something tonight that alchemists couldn't do in a thousand years, no strings attached!"

"Our mom... did it too." Al voice was quiet, echoing slightly in the armor. Ed sat up in his bed and Harry lost his smile.

"Al? You ok?" He asked.

"You think I was that soft when I was born? And warm?"

Ed tried to grin and fell short. "Of course you were! You were still soft when you were five!" He teased lightly, trying to lighten his brother's depression.

Al was silent for a long time before answering. "... Yeah." And then, although there were no tears or other physical evidence, Al started crying softly.

Harry rose into sitting, his green eyes darkened considerably with emotion. "Memories are precious things. Feel happy that you can still remember what your mother looks like. Al, you and I are the same in this respect, just reversed. You can't feel anything in that armored shell of yours, and for that, I am sorry, but you do remember feeling before, and you have the memory of your mother's face and her smile. I may have my body, but I can't remember what my mother looks like, or her name. But I remember that I before I came here, I knew those things. You will get your body back." Then he lay back down in his bed and closed his eyes, tuning out everything in order to sleep.

Ed could only look in Harry's direction before watching his brother cry softly, heartbroken. And he could do nothing about it. Not one thing.

* * *

After the birth, the three of them dove into the books, studying harder than ever with more determination then they had previously shown. The Elric brothers studied more than Harry did, because he did not need to show off like they would need to, being as young as they were, and he was already lacking years of study anyway and did not wish to exhaust himself mentally.

About a month after the birth of Elysia, which was the name of Gracia and Maes' daughter, the Lt. Colonel stopped by for a visit with Harry, bringing back memories of their last encounter to the raven-haired teen's mind.

"Harry, how's the studying coming?" Roy's deep tenor broke through Harry's concentration and he looked up from the book of various diagrams that he was currently engrossed in. A light blush settled on his cheeks at the Colonel's confident smile. Smiling back, he closed his book and rose from the desk he was working at.

"It's actually coming along better than I expected. I've managed to catch up decently enough to the boys. What brings you here today, sir?" He asked politely, and Mustang dismissed his formality with a small gesture.

"Please, don't be so formal. I came to talk to you, actually, if you could spare some time." Harry nodded and together, they left the Tucker home for a walk around the neighborhood. And both of them spent some of the time walking in silence, gathering their thoughts before they talked.

Since his demonstration at Central HQ, Harry had gone over everything he knew about the Lt. Colonel and he recalled, quite vividly, the accidental kiss they had shared, and he had come to the conclusion that he had developed a crush on the Flame Alchemist, and it was not a small crush.

He admired the man for his intelligence, and for the loyalty he seemed to gather, an instant leader. He was confident, powerful in his own right, and he could make the most of any situation. There were also the little things that Harry noticed about Mustang that had garnered his interest and furthered his crush, like the way the older man smiled ever so slightly, or the smug gleam that often crept into his onyx eyes when something went his way, or just the casual gestures that oozed of excellence. Not to mention that the Colonel was also very physically attractive as well.

What Harry didn't know was that Roy Mustang was thinking in a very similar vein about him. The Lt. Colonel watched as Harry walked silently beside him, and he could see the ease that the teen carried himself with. It was like nothing was below Harry's awareness and he held himself confidently, like he knew what he was capable of. He was intelligent, Roy knew that, and he admired that. He could tell that Harry had been hurt a lot in his mysterious past, but it seemed that the teen had come out of it stronger because of the hardships in his lost past.

Roy also knew that the teen was very caring, very emotional to a certain degree, and he knew this mostly because of Harry's care of the Elric brothers. Harry was also a natural leader, someone who could inspire loyalty with a single look or word, but at the same time, Harry seemed to be very shy and very humble, modest. It was... refreshing.

And despite the jagged scar that vividly marked Harry's face, he was very attractive. In fact, Roy felt that the long scar only enhanced the exotic features that created Harry. No one had eyes that shade of green. No one had skin quite that color, quite that pale. No one was shaped like he was, not quite. Harry was unique. And Mustang was very much attracted to him, despite his reputation as a straight skirt-chaser... he hadn't met Harry before.

After a while, the two of them reached a small outdoor café, and the Colonel offered to buy coffee. Harry shyly accepted, and once they had their respective drinks, the two of them sat down a little bit away from the rest of the customers in the café.

Roy started the conversation. "Harry... since I met you, I've been fascinated, intrigued with you. You're different and I feel drawn to you on some level that I can't explain. When you accidentally kissed me that day, I felt something. I felt something, and since then, I haven't been able to concentrate as much as I would like, irritating my subordinates to no end." They both shared a light laugh at that.

"I like you. And I was not scared away by that kiss, accidental as it was. I know I have a reputation of being a total skirt-chaser, and before I met you and got to know you a little more, I was. Now I'm a little interested in you." Roy said, deciding to not dance around the subject, and as Harry blushed at his words, as though unaccustomed to the subject, Roy couldn't help but think that the teen was adorable when he blushed.

"Well, you're straight forward." Harry said, still trying to figure out what he wanted to say. "I'm glad you're awkward about that kiss. To tell you the truth, I liked it too. However, I know nothing about being in any sort of a romantic relationship. I wouldn't know where to begin. But, you have also plagued my thoughts the past couple of weeks, just in the back of my mind when I studied or did anything else. I..." Harry blushed a bit redder, glancing down into his coffee as though it held the answers he was looking for. "I have developed... feelings for you..." He trailed off as Mustang raised a sleek black eyebrow, looking entirely too smug with himself.

"All right! I have a bloody crush on you! I like you a lot, considering how long I've known you, which is very long at all, so please stop looking so arrogant, you git!" Harry kept his voice low as he ranted, brought to the point of rambling while the Colonel watched him with an unfaltering gaze.

Mustang chuckled softly, reaching out and lightly grabbing one of Harry's hands, capturing it in his own gloved hand. "Harry, calm down. Take it easy. Now that we've established that we share feelings for each other, at least on some level, what do you wish to do about this?"

Harry blushed again. "I don't know, actually. I never allowed myself to think that far ahead. Roy, I've never had any luck in my life, even generally, so even if we do decide on a relationship, what happens after? I'll be staying with the Elrics until their goals are met at least. And we don't even know each other that well. What if I pass my Exam? I doubt relationships are allowed within the Military, not to mention our age difference. And what if something happens and I return to my world, just on the off chance? I'm just a misplaced wizard, trying to co-exist in a world that's not mine."

"I say we'll deal with problems as they arise, and I understand about the Elrics." Mustang said, leaning forward in his chair a little. "I wouldn't have it any other way if we were to pursue a relationship."

"Why me, though? You've got charm, looks, personality, and a good career ahead of you. Why me? No one's looked twice at me before, and when they have, it's been because of my name, hoping to increase their status, or because I was a replacement." Harry said bitterly. That small statement took Roy aback; then it hit him. Harry was afraid... afraid of letting anyone in too close?

"What are you afraid of? I have no reason to know you by your previous reputation, whatever that may be. And quite frankly, Harry, you are an amazing person, and I have the feeling that I will have to remind you of that fact quite often." He said with a teasing grin. "But I'd be willing to try out a relationship, at the very least to get to know each other better. I am attracted to you, Harry. You've got a personality that I like, and you're almost exotic here. I have not seen anyone with your features, nor has Hughes, because I've asked. You're quite attractive, Harry, and I will convince you of that."

Harry was blushing a nice bright red, and avoided Mustang's rather intense gaze, drinking his coffee slowly. He couldn't think of anything to say at that point.

The Lt. Colonel stood up after a while, offering his hand to the emerald-eyed teen. "Come on, I'll take you back to the house. I want you to pass that Exam, which isn't too far away." Harry nodded, and accepted the older man's hand.

The Colonel didn't release his hand, though. He started pulling Harry gently from the café and back in the direction of the Tucker home, a small, familiar smile gracing his lips.

Harry couldn't help but notice that his hand seemed to fit perfectly in the Colonel's slightly larger grip, and he smiled the smallest of almost-smiles, which didn't go unnoticed by the older man beside him.

The walk back to the Tucker house was silent, but it was a comfortable silence, and Harry felt good, for once. He looked up at Mustang when the Colonel came to a stop just outside the front gate. He began to worry a bit when Roy suddenly smirked and tilted his head down, drawing Harry closer before capturing the teen's lips in a soft gentle kiss.

Harry's eyes widened at the first contact, but he didn't pull away, and he felt Roy's smirk grow. Then the kiss was broken as the Colonel pulled back and that smirk was just way too smug. He looked entirely too pleased with himself.

"Have a good night, Harry. Study hard for that Exam." He turned around and started walking in the opposite direction, leaving Harry standing there, staring after him with wide eyes. The teen lightly touched his lips and grinned like a loon.

The front door of the Tucker home burst open with a loud bang and Harry, very much startled at the sudden loud noise, turned sharply to the door and gaped at Ed, who looked ready to kill.

"Ah... E-Ed? Are y-you o-ok?" He asked tentatively, taking a guess at what the small blond was pissed off about.

"WHY THE HELL DID THAT SMUG ASS BASTARD KISS YOU FOR!!! DID HE HURT YOU?? I'LL TEAR HIS FREAKING ARMS FROM HIS BODY!!!" Ed screamed, causing some birds in the immediate area to fly in fright.

"Ed, I'll you everything inside. Please, don't do this out here; you're causing a scene." Harry said quietly as the younger alchemist came closer. He grabbed Ed's arm once he was close enough and dragged him back into the house, until they were in the room they shared.

Ed pulled his arm out of Harry's grasp and sank moodily on his bed, glaring at Harry with those sharp golden eyes of his. With a sigh, Harry sat down heavily on the bed designated for Al, although he didn't need it, and he avoided looking at Ed for a few minutes, blushing furiously.

"Well? You going to explain what just happened?"

Harry sighed again. "Fine, Ed. Roy Mustang kissed me. I fairly liked it, and so did he. I believe we're going to have a relationship. I am attracted to the Colonel and he is attracted to me. Does that spell it out for you?" Harry knew his words were very much out of character for him, but he didn't really care at the moment. He just really didn't want to deal with Ed's temper for too long.

Ed gaped at him, the personification of a fish out of water, gathering his thoughts at Harry's sudden declaration. But he still wouldn't be backing down or anything. "You're serious?" He asked quickly. "He's not playing you or anything?"

Harry shrugged dismissively. "I should hope not. He's just... more open about his emotions than I am, I guess. I don't know exactly how I feel about Roy, but I'm not adverse to a relationship with him, especially since he wants to try. Are you ok with this? I know you don't seem to like the Colonel, but seriously, are you ok if I have a relationship?"

Ed's temper, that had continued boiling just beneath the surface, sputtered and died out, and his expression softened. "Harry, you're the older brother I've never had, and from what you've already told me and Al about your past, your world, it wasn't hard to come to the conclusion that you've never really had any kind of... romantic experiences. It seems like you were never really happy there, either, except for a dozen or so moments... so if the Colonel makes you happy, I'm all right. And don't even worry about Al; he wants you to be happy just as much, if not more, as I do."

Harry grinned gratefully, running a hand through his black hair. "Thank you, Ed, really. It doesn't matter that Roy's a guy?"

Ed shook his head. "Nah. I'm pretty open-minded, even though I've never really thought about this kind of thing myself. You have to expect the unexpected as an alchemist, and like I said; if you're happy, I'm ok."

"You shouldn't be thinking about girls or relationships for a couple more years, or so I've been told." Harry snickered. "Or thinking about guys, if you're into that."

"Like you are?" Ed shot back, a teasing grin plastered to his face. "It's not important to me right now about relationships and dating... seems like a waste of time to me, and it probably won't be important to me anytime in the next couple of years."

"Good. That's means you're acting like a normal kid, at least in that respect, anyway. Now come on, enough of this. The Alchemy Exam is just around the corner, and I can't afford to fall behind any further than I already have in my studying schedule." Harry stood up from the bed and pulled Ed to his feet, tugging the younger male off in the direction of the library.

* * *

And so, the three alchemists in training renewed their efforts as the date of the alchemy exam drew closer and closer. Harry, in particular, was still struggling to catch up his two younger companions, and he was often studying through the night. But one thing always remained on Ed's mind in particular, and one night, Al brought the same subject up.

"I've been thinking, brother; that night at the Hughes', you changed the water without a circle." The two brothers were sitting at the desk in their room while Harry lounged on his bed, several books open in front of him. Ed glanced up from his notes, his expression clouding over in a thoughtful tug of his features. "Most people can't do that."

"But it was just a fluke; I haven't been able to do it since then."

"Still, you showed that it was possible. I need to learn how to do that too."

Ed scratched his head absently with his pencil. "Ok... how about I quiz you twice as much?"

"Ok!"

Harry chuckled from his place on his bed before turning his attention back to his books. E-Day, as they had started calling it, was fast approaching, and they all needed to be ready for it.

* * *

A few nights before E-Day, Shou Tucker sat them down in front of the living room fireplace, to discuss with them about how the Exam was going to work.

"It's always the same; first a written test, then interview, then practical skills. There's no way to know how many people will apply, but the State only accepts one or two each year."

Ed's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "One or two people? You're kidding me!"

"It's rough." Tucker simply stated. Al leaned forward in his chair, his armor chinking quietly.

"Ah... what kind of stuff do they do in the interview?"

"That varies, I think; with me, they just asked questions, but I've heard that physical exams are pretty common too."

Al shied away, feeling very downcast. "You don't say."

"After that, if you pass the first two, you move on to that hardest challenge, the practical skills. Half bring results of their research, like I did, and half perform on the spot. You boys do have a plan, right?" All three of them panicked slightly at the question. They couldn't get out of that room faster.

Ensconced in their room once again, the three alchemists in training scrambled their brains for a solution to newfound problems. Harry started pacing around the smallish room, wringing his hands in a nervous gesture he had picked up from Hermione a few years back. Ed just stared down at the floor, hands clenched, resting on his knees as he sat on the edge of his bed. Al mimicked him, managing to look just as nervous as the other two were in his armor.

"Damn it. What am I gonna do? I didn't think I'd need a demonstration."

"And what about a physical? They could open my armor and find there's nothing inside."

"What about my magic? I still haven't figured out if my magic is in some way interfering with my alchemic skills or even mutating it. Mostly, I've used my magic as a reflex."

Ed looked up, his gaze following the furiously pacing teen for a few moments. "I don't know about your magic, Harry, but Al, maybe you could stuff Alexander in there and pretend you're a talking dog."

"I don't think that's very funny..." Al whined and Harry paused in his pacing to glare at the blond.

"Ed, that was hardly appropriate. All right, we'll not be able to figure this out tonight, so let's get some sleep." He crawled into his bed quickly, the other two following his lead. Each of them tried desperately to quiet their racing minds.

* * *

All too soon for the three alchemists in training came E-Day, the day of the Exam, at long last. They quickly made their way to Central HQ to one of the smaller amphitheatres where the Exam was going to take place. They settled into some seats near the middle of the largish room, and well away from each other to prevent any possible accusations of 'cheating'. This was actually Harry's idea, but then, he was usually too paranoid for his own good.

There weren't many people taking the Exam, or as many people as Ed had thought there would be. In the very front of the room were five Military men, only three of whom Ed and Al recognized, those being the Lt. Colonel Mustang, that General they had saved on the train the first time they had met Major Maes Hughes, the Fuhrer Himself, King Bradley, but as Ed glanced over at Harry, it seemed like the older teen recognized someone else, and not in a good way. The raven-haired teen was giving the darkest, most evil glare he was capable of to the tall intimidating man between Mustang and the Fuhrer. Ed briefly wondered what the story was behind that hellish look, but it passed as his anxiety sank its teeth into his nerves again.

Ed wasn't the only one to notice Harry's dark look. "Brother... remind me to never get on Harry's bad side. He looks downright evil." Al whispered before moving a couple of seats over.

He watched as Mustang caught Harry's eye and gave him a warning look, seemingly knowing what was pissing the older teen off so much before flashing a quick, nearly invisible, almost-grin. Harry's Glare of Imminent Doom(tm) lessened, but did not die completely.

The Fuhrer caught the attention of all those applying for the Exam and smiled at them all. "We are now commencing with the preliminary exam; good luck."

"Begin!" The General beside the Fuhrer declared, his voice echoing slightly in the hall, and so the Exam began.

Four hours later, Ed and Al were stumbling out of the building, where Nina waited for them. Harry wasn't with them.

Nina ran to them, Alexander at her side. "Big brothers! How'd it go?" She asked, slowly taking in the exhaustion that oozed from Ed's entire being. Al didn't seem any better, either. "Where's older big brother?"

"I didn't finish, and my wrist feels like spaghetti." Ed moaned.

"I got through it, but next comes the interview." Al was really dreading the interview, and he didn't know what he was going to do about it. "And where is Harry? He was only a few rows down from us."

"I'm pretty sure he has an appointment with the Colonel," Came the deadpanned answer from Ed. Al looked down at his brother.

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind, Al. Harry should be fine; we'll just wait for him. I don't think he'll be gone too long." Ed moved them towards a bench nearby and they settled down to wait for the last member of their little group.

"You know where Harry is, don't you brother?"

"I have a good guess, yes."

* * *

After the written exam was over with, Harry rose from his seat with a groan as he shook out his aching wrist. He gathered his cloak and started for the doors after Ed and Al up ahead, but a familiar gloved hand caught his tired wrist.

"Colonel Mustang! You startled me!" Roy flashed that smug half-grin of his and guided Harry away from the door and into a smaller side room of the amphitheatre.

"Sorry for the scare; I just had to see you in private before I start on the Exams." He kissed Harry lightly on the lips, bringing a soft blush to the teen's face.

"Ed and Al will be waiting for me, and Nina's outside waiting as well."

"Well, then I'll just have to keep this short and to the point." He smirked and pulled Harry close, locking lips with an unresisting Harry. Caught off guard, Harry didn't react at first to the kiss, but then he decided to just enjoy it, and just feel.

He brought one hand to Roy's neck and the other to the older man's waist, pulling him even closer. The Flame Alchemist ran his tongue across Harry's closed lips and the emerald-eyed teen opened his mouth just a little bit, inviting the Colonel to explore. Roy's hands were firmly placed on his hips, the glove-covered fingers digging into his flesh as he deepened their kiss.

Harry was the first to move away, panting slightly for air with a pleasant flush delicately staining his cheeks. Roy's smile turned extremely gentle as he brought one hand slowly to lightly caress Harry's cheek.

"You are new at this, aren't you?" Harry looked away, a bit embarrassed, nodding just enough to answer the question. "Then it will be my pleasure to show you this kind of experience. I will teach you how to appreciate this experience."

And again, he kissed Harry, deepening the kiss almost immediately. He slowly moved away from the younger man's mouth, trailing his lips across Harry's jaw line and down his neck, pulling back the collar of his shirt for further access, and he proceeded to leave his mark on the younger alchemist, literally.

He pulled back, admiring his handiwork with a familiar smug half-grin. He placed another kiss to Harry's lips and waited patiently as the younger man regained his composure. Harry mock-glared at him.

"You left a mark, didn't you?"

The Colonel nodded, his grin growing. "Yes I did, and I was considerate enough to make my mark low enough so you can hide it to avoid unnecessary questions, but you better find the Elrics. They're probably waiting for you, and I think Edward has an idea of what's going on."

Harry blushed again and softly cursed the betraying color, causing Mustang to chuckle. "Thank you. For everything." On impulse, he leaned up and lightly kissed Mustang, a light, almost chaste kiss, before leaving the room they were in. On his way outside, he fixed his collar and started looking for the Elric brothers and little Nina, who had been waiting with Alexander the dog. He knew that Ed probably knew where he had been, but he didn't know if he would tell Al about his new relationship with the Colonel. He still hadn't told the animated suit of armor about this new development.

* * *

A little while later, in his office, Mustang dropped a list with all the successful candidates from the written exam back onto his desk, cupping his chin in thought. A woman stood at his side, her crisp uniform immaculate, a sidearm attached at her waist.

"I never imagined the younger one would pass it too, and I'm pleasantly surprised that Mr. Potter passed it with as high a score as he did, considering how little training he's had." He said, speaking his thoughts aloud. The other officer glanced at him, barely moving.

"Is that a problem, sir?" The Colonel didn't answer her query. Instead, he nodded to himself and excused himself from the office, searching out the young alchemists in training. He found them on the grounds, relaxing a bit on the grass. As he approached the trio, Ed was the first to notice him, making his presence known to the other two. Mustang didn't smile in greeting, knowing that what he needed to discuss with the boys would not be taken well.

With a gesture, he signaled for the three young alchemists to follow him out of sight into a nearby alleyway, away from the prying eyes of others. Nina Tucker continued to play with her monstrous dog as they left unnoticed.

He catalogued their reactions to his news, noticing that Edward seemed almost relieved to hear that his brother was going to have to drop out of the Exam, and Harry was looking at him curiously with a bit of regret for Alphonse and sympathy. The younger Elric didn't take to the news very well.

"No! You can't say that! I've worked so hard for months; I'm not dropping out now!" He was upset, to say the least.

However, Roy could not afford to be lenient. "If you want to go on without revealing your past, you have no choice."

"That's not good enough! I'm not getting split from my brother, or from Harry! We've come too far for that!" He seemed ready to continue protesting his only option, but Ed cut him off.

"Easy Al; you remember what Aunt Pinako said, right?" He grinned, the smile seeming a bit faked, and both Harry and Al looked to the blond for his reasonings. "State Alchemists are Military, and get thrown into service whenever war breaks out." Roy just watched, face blank of any revealing notions as Ed talked. "You have to do what they say, even hurt people for some good that you don't understand."

Here his grin seemed bitter and almost self-mocking. "It means you're a dog of the State, with a leash around your neck!"

"But Ed..."

The grin was wiped clean from the blonde's features, serious in an instant. "One of us has to join to get what we need, but we both don't have to. Let me go alone, and I promise I'll fix things; get us back the way we were."

"And what about me, Ed?" The two brothers turned, looking at Harry. Roy noticed that the teen's eyes had darkened with the emotions he could sense were rippling beneath the cool surface of his exterior calm. "I swore I'd help you, and I told you before that you don't have to do this alone. Even if Al can't join the Military to help you, I will. Unlike him, I have no secrets to hide that could destroy my life. Not that anyone would believe my secrets, anyway."

"But, Harry... maybe it would be best if you didn't join as well." Ed said, somewhat hesitantly. "I know that you hate being controlled in any way. You said as much."

Harry smiled darkly, distorting the scar angrily. "But I already know how to be on a leash. So I've had a little freedom before getting new 'masters'. You won't be joining the Military alone, Edward."

Al could only watch, unable to do anything about the situation because he really did not another option available to him. His posture seemed to slump down dejectedly and he sighed.

* * *

The interviews were done at random, so Harry was called for his interview before Ed was, and with a moment's hesitation, he followed a soldier to the same room his demonstration had been in. Pausing momentarily to glance over the elaborately decorated doors, he pushed them open, staring once again into the darkness. Like his previous visit, there was a spotlight in the center of the room, again, only lighting up the alchemy circle on the floor. His judges were still in the same place as last time, barely discernable in the gloom of the darkened room but instead of Mustang, it was the General.

The Fuhrer spoke first. "Alchemy is the science of balance, we have already discerned your balance in life from the last time we met. Now tell me; why do you wish to become a State Alchemist?"

Harry closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts. His mind briefly brought to the front images of Al and Ed, his two 'brothers', and of Roy, and also memories of his home that he would never see again.

"Well? We're waiting." It was that Brigadier General that grated on Harry's nerves. Harry opened his now ice green eyes and glared briefly at the imposing man to the left of the Fuhrer.

"I have been a wanderer for a very long time, and I can't go back to where I came from. I need to make my home here, in Amestris, and I have someone who needs my help. I do this for the ones I have come to care deeply for, no matter the consequences of my actions. I do not this for myself or my personal gain; I do this for the sake of others in my care."

The Fuhrer smiled, pleased with his response. "Well answered, Magician."

The rest of the interview was simple questioning, a confirmation of already known facts. As Harry was leaving the interview, he caught a glimpse of the Colonel, his smile a small upturn of his lips. He seemed proud, and that made Harry's heart swell.

Ed's interview was not long after that, and he too, stood outside the doors a moment. He gathered his nerves and pushed open the double doors, frowning into the darkness of the large, empty-seeming room. He stepped in, walking towards the center of the room.

A spotlight lit up a portion of the room, revealing to Ed an alchemic circle, unlike any he had already seen, and a very odd looking chair. The chair was curvy, the seat and back of the chair twisted into spirals, and it stood on three narrow, fragile legs.

"A chair with three legs... it shouldn't keep its balance." He mumbled, moving towards the chair. Looking at his panel of judges, he could barely make out the same three who had presided over the written test.

"Take a seat; alchemy is the science of balance. If you have the gift, it will not refuse you." Bradley said, his voice neutral and authoritative. "Go on, Edward; State Alchemists cannot be afraid."

Ed stiffened at the comment and grabbed the back of the chair, taking his seat on the impossible chair.

"Very good," The Fuhrer sounded a lot more welcoming. "Now tell me why you want to become an Alchemist for our Military?"

Ed looked down and didn't answer the question for a very long time. The Fuhrer waited patiently. "I'm waiting."

"Because..." Ed looked at his automail arm, hidden beneath his glove, and an image of Al and Harry flashed in his mind. He looked up, staring at the three Military officers, determined. "Because I made a promise. To the only family I've got. I told him I'd become an Alchemist in service to State, and take all the good and bad that comes with it. And my brother in arms made me a promise to help me. I can't disrespect that promise."

Too far in the darkness of the room to be noticed, Roy Mustang smiled at the blonde's answer, knowing it was the right response, and proud of the bond the three young alchemists had with each other.

The rest of the interview went smoothly, and that night, as the three of them lay in their beds, wide awake from the day's events Ed stared at the darkened ceiling, his mind heavy with thought.

"Al? Do you think we decided right, choosing the right path?"

"I don't know, brother, but I do know this; I don't want to be in this suit anymore. I wanna feel things again. It's strange; we've been right beside each other all this time, but I can't remember what your skin feels like, or how you smell." Al sounded so heartbroken, and Harry closed his eyes with a weary sigh, leaving the two brothers to their moment.

* * *

Then it was the day of the practicals. Al and Nina, who wanted to show their support for the two young alchemists, escorted the two candidates for the Exam to the building where the Practical exam was to take part in.

Ed glared lightly at the large building before turning back to his brother and the little girl with her monstrous dog. "We're off."

"Not yet!" Nina's words brought their attention to the small child and Ed watched as she paused, looking away nervously with red-stained cheeks. She glanced down at something in her hands before hiding it behind her back with a shy giggle.

"Go on, Nina." Al encouraged the little girl, and with a shy four-year-old smile, she held out a rolled up piece of construction paper.

"I made something for you." She said, unrolling her little project to show to both Ed and Harry. Both alchemists were very much touched by the pictures depicted in the little girl's art project.

It was a picture of the four of them, with Alexander, drawn crudely in the way only a four-year-old could draw, and at the top of the page was what was unmistakably an alchemic circle, drawn crookedly by a black wax crayon. It was heart-warming.

Ed took the construction paper gently, a tremulous smile gracing his lips as he scanned the picture before looking down at the little girl who had become their friend. Harry stood behind him, a similar expression warming his features.

"It's a circle to help your wish." She laughed shyly.

"Thank you." Harry said.

"It's great. Thanks, Nina." They thanked the little girl once more and left their two companions for the practical exam. It was the last exam they had to take before they could be State Alchemists.

A soldier led them to an area behind the main buildings, where a well prepared sectioned was cordoned off for the duration of the exam. There were only about a dozen other candidates for the exam, and Harry immediately noticed that he and Ed were by far the youngest of the group; the other candidates were in their mid-twenties at the youngest and approaching their fifties at the oldest.

The area reserved for the testing was a fair sized area consisting of a variety of different fields of raw material. There was sand and hard-packed soil, a small mountain of rock and another one of ice, a small patch of towering pine trees, and there was even a stream.

The Fuhrer greeted them, lined up with the other high-ranking officers. "Welcome to the Practical Skills Exam. We've provided you with some nice raw material for your alchemy. You may use them to create whatever you see fit."

"Gee, nice guidelines. What the heck am I supposed to create to impress them?"

"That might be an aspect of the exam, Ed; your creativity and imagination. I'm sure you'll be fine." Harry said quietly, flashing a nervous smile.

A flash of yellow light brought their attention back to the field of material as a spire of rock rose into the air. It was actually quite detailed, but the middle-aged alchemist who created it was struggling to stand from his kneeling position. He was also out of breath.

Nearby, General Haruko grinned indulgently. "Huh! Impressive detail, but he used so much energy that he can't even stand up."

"You can't get tired!" Ed proclaimed, staring at the alchemist.

Another candidate, confident and smarmy, lightly shoved way through the other candidates. "Out of the way; I'm next!"

He drew a circle on the ground and gathered a few of the trees onto it, tossing a couple of buckets of water from the stream into the thick foliage.

"What's he cooking?" Ed asked aloud, barely voicing his thoughts. His mind was still coming up a blank for his own demonstration.

"But that method would be impractical for the battlefield, which alchemists are often sent to. That would take up far too much time and would need preparation before hand." Was Harry's opinion. Ed glanced at him, frowning a bit. He knew that before Harry had arrived in Amestris, he had been at war himself, and his arrival was a direct result of a fierce battle Harry had been a large part of.

Again, yellow light flashed as the material was broken down and reconstructed, creating a bulbous balloon that was almost fragile floating higher into the air.

"Whoa, nicely done!" General Haruko commented, gazing up at the rising balloon.

Ed watched the thing as well. "Trees and water into a hydrogen paper blimp!"

With Seeker trained eyes, Harry noticed something in the other alchemist's creation. "Ed..."

"I see it!" No sooner than those three words left Ed's mouth, a hole burst in the side of the paper blimp, sending it back towards the ground in an erratic fashion, but the tall spire created by the first candidate was in its trajectory. The other alchemist still couldn't move.

Mustang moved forward, tugging his gloves on. "That's not good!"

As the other candidates stood around and shouted, unsure of what to do, the blimp crashed into the spire, breaking off the top half of it, and sending a shower of dangerous rock down. The first alchemist could do nothing but cower and scream, covering his head with his arms.

"Ed! The blimp!" The young blond was already running for the disaster as Harry shouted, hot on his heels. Both of them were running for the impending disaster in the making and as Ed jumped, lunging for the remaining spire left standing, he clapped his hands, the clap echoing slightly.

Harry only had time to shoot his friend a sharp, calculating look before clapping his hands together himself. Simultaneously, the two young alchemists touched their targets; Ed firmly placed both hands on the broken spire, bright blue light immediately glowing from the spire, and Harry slammed both hands onto the ground in front of the fallen alchemist and the blond, his actions gaining the same effect as Ed's.

The blinding white-blue light had everyone but the Military Alchemists shielding their eyes as the two transmutations took place.

After a few moments, the light cleared and flower petals started falling softly down on the spectators. What was immediately noticed by most of the people gathered was the large stone crafted dragon that stood over the alchemists, protecting them with wings outspread and shielding. The detail to the dragon was phenomenal, with every ridge and scale perfectly crafted. No one but Harry would know, but the dragon was and exact, smaller, and to-scale replica of a Hungarian Horntail dragon.

Mustang smiled, very proud. "Alchemy without circles." He said simply, amazed at the revelation.

The Fuhrer smiled his content and familiar smile and looked down at the two youngest candidates. "I think we just found our alchemists. The youngest we've had."

At the site of the simultaneous transmutations, Ed stared at his hands, realizing what he had done to perform the alchemy, his gaze dazed and more than a little awed and confused.

Harry watched him; a knowing grin distorting his scar and looking a little dazed himself. In truth, he hadn't known, in that split second he had decided to copy Ed's bizarre move, if the action would have any effect. But it was a risk he was glad and relieved he had taken.

And up in the air, where Ed had transmuted the doomed paper blimp and spire, was a large ring of flowers, with a pair of wings, slowly descending back to the ground, petals streaming down in a gentle cascade.

* * *

A/N: CHAPTER IS FINISHED!!!!!!! I AM SO SORRY, AND I HOPE YOU ALL DON'T HATE ME FOR THE ABSURD LENGTH OF THE CHAPTER. I DON'T MIND LONG CHAPTERS, BUT WHEN THEY START GETTING THIS LONG, I TEND TO WORRY. I'LL HEAR FROM YOU NEXT TIME!!!

PS: THAT LITTLE BUTTON IN THE CORNER... YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO... GIMME ME A REVIEW!!!


	5. Ch 5: NIGHT OF THE CHIMERA

BROTHERS IN ARMS

LADY SHINIGAMI

DISCLAIMER: JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHERS...

A/N: THERE WERE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THIS CHAPTER, THUS THE REASON IT TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE OUT. I AM NOT ENTIRELY HAPPY WITH THIS CHAPTER, AS THE CORRESPONDING EPISODE WAS ONE I REALLY DIDN'T LIKE, AND BEFORE I SUBMIT CHAPTER 6, THIS CHAPTER MAY CHANGE. SERIOUSLY, A LOT OF ISSUES, BOTH PLOT-RELATED AND REAL-LIFE RELATED, WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LONG WAIT. I DO APOLOGISE FOR THAT AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO LESSEN THE TIME FRAME FOR NEXT TIME.

CHAPTER 5: NIGHT OF THE CHIMERA

It was a few days after the Exam that Ed and Harry were called into Mustang's office to receive their State watches. Having lived with the older Elric brother for as long as he had now, spending every day in his almost constant company, Harry knew full well that Ed would probably run his mouth off a little, ruining a good first impression for the people that he would very soon be working with, and working under, and had warned Ed about keeping his mouth shut if he wasn't going to be respectful, or at least, polite.

It was at this point, minutes before they would be standing in front of Mustang's desk, that Ed pointed out that Harry was acting very much like an annoying older brother. Harry just smirked at that.

Harry, knowing that adults, and just generally all people over the age of twenty, had a tendency to forget about certain things, had told Ed that the Military and the personnel they would be working with would more than likely forget that Ed and Harry were as young as they were, Ed especially, because they did not act their age. Both of them, Harry knew, acted far older than they were.

Thus his warning on first impressions and being polite.

So when Colonel Mustang tossed them two Military watches, officially recognizing them as State Alchemists, he knew that Ed was just about twitching to just say something flippant. The blond kept quiet, though and offered a small bow and a smart salute. Harry followed suit with a soft-spoken "Thank you," with his own salute.

Roy barely looked up from the paperwork he was doing, offering the barest of almost-smiles to them. "Congrats, you're both officially dogs of the State now; Lt. Havoc, please take them home."

A tall lanky blond with short-cropped hair stood from a nearby desk and saluted casually. It occurred briefly to Harry that there were a lot more blondes than he was used to in this world.

"I'll drop by for a visit when I can, Harry." Roy said as they passed through the office door following the Lt., and the young wizard looked back, catching the stern-looking female officer by the name of Riza Hawkeye giving Roy a Look. Yes, with a capital 'L'.

With a small frown, Harry followed Havoc and Ed out of Central HQ and to the car Havoc would be driving to take them back to the Tucker house. Ed was in a foul mood, glaring out the window of the car the moment he settled into the back seat.

Lt. Havoc noticed this as well, but he didn't take his eyes off the road as he drive, and they could hear a smile in his voice as he spoke, once they were on their way.

"Come on, chief, lighten up; you look like the sky's falling down. Don't let the Lt. Colonel get to you; he's working on a case right now."

"The Colonel did seem a little more distracted than the last few times we've seen him today. What case is he working on?" Harry asked, hoping to keep Ed from saying the wrong thing.

"There's a serial killer loose; only targets women." Havoc said casually. Ed recoiled a little and Harry repressed a shudder.

"Sounds like police business, why does he care?"

"It's in the Military's backyard; it's dishonorable. Mustang cares about that kind of stuff."

"Or he's just looking for a promotion." Ed muttered under his breath, drawing a sharp glance from Harry, and Havoc stopped the car with a squealing lurch, nearly throwing his two passengers out of their seats.

The easy-going smile was gone from Havoc face as he stared at Ed, cigarette dangling from his mouth. "It's true, kid. Mustang's no political novice; he'll do whatever he has to, to move up the chain around here. But if that was all he was about, we wouldn't follow him."

Ed looked chastised enough, with shoulders hunched. "Tell me then; what is he about?"

"You still can't get a solid read on him, can you, Ed?" Harry asked, and it seemed like it suddenly dawned on Havoc just how young his passengers were. "I feel I can trust him; you know how I feel."

Havoc turned back around and started the car up again. "You'll learn more about Mustang soon enough."

Back at the Tucker residence, Ed showed off his new watch, proclaiming him as a State Alchemist, a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. "Check it out!"

Al and Nina grinned as well, and Harry pulled his own watch out from his pocket, showing it too. "Wow, is that the real thing?"

Alexander the dog charged past Al and Nina and swiped at Ed and ran off with the blonde's new watch, said short-tempered blond chasing frantically after the beast, yelling out threats loudly.

"Guess he's still Ed." Was Al's only comment and Harry hung his head in shame and exasperation, tucking his own watch back into the safety of his pocket.

Havoc just laughed at the display, but as Tucker stepped out of the house, he promptly saluted the other Alchemist, hiding his lit cigarette behind his back as he did so.

"Your tenants are becoming quite the stars at Headquarters; who would have thought that a twelve-year-old and an eighteen-year-old could have actually passed the Exam, right?"

"They're both quite the prodigies; hopefully that's a blessing." Harry frowned at Tucker's praise. Maybe it was his paranoia working overtime again, but he wasn't quite sure that there hadn't been some kind of underhanded insult.

"So, to honor Ed and Harry's ground-breaking achievements, we're going to have a feast!" Tucker said with his familiar smile plastered across his mouth. As Nina and Ed, who had finally retrieved his watch From Alexander, cheered, The Sowing Life Alchemist turned back to Lt. Havoc. "Would you like to join us, Lieutenant?"

"Sorry, full schedule." Havoc politely declined.

"Is that so?"

"Oh, Mr. Tucker; the Lt. Colonel asked me to pass a message along. Your Assessment Day is coming up; he says he's looking forward to it."

Tucker smiled became even more strained. "...Yes. I'm sure that he is."

During dinner, Ed brought up the inevitable subject. "This Assessment deal, that's something the State does?"

Tucker nodded. "If I don't submit meaningful findings from my research each year, they'll revoke my certification as a State Alchemist."

"Wow, that's a lot of pressure."

"Last year, I didn't exactly get a positive assessment, so this year its do or die."

"Let'em have it, Daddy!" Nina was excited for her father, and clearly supported him.

Al's smile could almost be heard as he spoke. "I know; why don't you make another talking chimera?"

"Yeah, and we'll be around to see it this time!"

But Harry wasn't too sure. The idea of a talking chimera, a creature intelligent enough to speak and have thoughts and emotions didn't sit very well with him. It was too much like trying to play God. It was one thing to transfigure a living creature into something, since the materials were the same and magic had a set of different laws from science and Alchemy. With magic, the living subject didn't lose its life in the process of creating something, which seemed like what Alchemy did, at least, that's how it seemed through Harry's understanding.

Tucker hesitated slightly in responding to Ed. "Well, that is... what everyone asks for. I promise, I'll let you all see the result." He smiled down at his daughter.

After, the boys retired for their room, and Ed settled himself at the small desk in front of the window, with paper out and a pen in his hand as he started writing a letter to his mechanic and very good friend Winry. As he continued to regale the automail mechanic with details of their stay in the Capital, he realized how lonely his surrogate brother must feel at times.

Ed wasn't dumb. Far from it, in fact, despite his tendency to speak before thinking. He realized that Harry had no one else in this world except for them, and the new friendships he made within the Military. From the very little Harry had told the two Elric brothers about his past life in his own world, Ed could figure pretty easily that Harry hadn't had that many friends, or even very many people he could consider close.

So that was why he included Harry in his letter to Winry, trying to include him in their own little dysfunctional family.

He almost didn't notice as Nina came into their room until the cute little girl was right beside him, trying to read over his elbow. He was startled as she spoke.

"Ooh, a letter! Who are you writing to?"

Ed scrambled to cover his precious papers as Harry started chuckling from his place on the floor where he was reading.

"A person! It doesn't matter!"

"Oh, it's to Winry, isn't it?" Al guessed in a sly but amused tone. Harry starting laughing harder, though he tried to muffle it to a quiet snickering.

"HEY!! It's just a simple report; just passed the Alchemy exam, how's the weather; that sort of thing!"

"Then why try and defend yourself?" Harry threw in a comment, like he usually did, a smirk in place as he peered over the edge of his current book.

"Winry's a pretty name... is she your girlfriend?" Nina's query was completely innocent with a four-year-old's cuteness.

"Yeah, almost seems like you're declaring your undying love and affection." On the inside, Ed was glad to see Harry in such a teasing mood, considering his unusual silence during dinner earlier. Still, he absolutely, utterly and completely denied, with fervor, the outrageous and blatant implication that Winry was his girlfriend, which was not true at all!!

Al was almost giddy as he leaned forward to answer Nina. "As a matter of fact..." Harry started laughing quietly to himself at Ed's over reacting, trying to smother his laughter behind his book.

"I know, I'm going to write a letter to my mom, too." With that cute smile of hers, Nina positioned herself in the middle of the floor in front of Al, and started drawing pictures, with the sole purpose of sending them to her mother.

Al watched her a moment. "So, your mom lives far away, doesn't she, Nina?"

The little girl's smile turned almost bittersweet. "That's right; she told my dad he was a good-for-nothing alchemist, who couldn't do anything right, and she went to live with her parents." No one really knew what they could say in reply of such a forward statement.

"... Hopefully, she'll send a reply this time."

* * *

Tucker came into the room a few hours later, and picked Nina up from off the floor, where the little girl had fallen asleep with her pictures. While Harry had refused to acknowledge the older alchemist's presence, Al approached the older man with his daughter's drawing pad.

"Here." He held out the pad, and Tucker seemed even more uncomfortable than he normally did, although Harry was sure that the Elric brothers couldn't pick up on it like he was.

"My wife, she couldn't stand being poor and she left us. As luck would have it, I joined the State Alchemists practically the next day. The State's been good to me these past years; they've given me this mansion, and this entire lifestyle. If I don't pass the Assessment, we'll... go back to the way things were. I almost don't think we could." As Tucker left the room with Nina in his arms, his daughter mumbled something in her sleep, which seemed to trouble the Alchemist.

"Alright, you two. Let's get some shuteye. I think we'll be needing all the rest we can get." The Elrics nodded and climbed into their respective beds, and Harry turned out the lights with a flick of his wrist.

* * *

Alexander tugged at his leash, dragging Ed towards the door for his walk, barking every so often as he did so. Ed just followed the large dog, grumbling.

"You're barking. I get it, you wanna go for a walk, right?" He didn't even bother answering his own rhetorical question. As they passed one of the many rooms in the mansion, something caught the blond alchemist's eye and he pulled Alexander into the room. Someone had been burning paper during the night, but whatever it was, it hadn't been burned entirely into ashes.

Pulling the charred papers out of the bowl, Ed was shocked to see Nina's drawings from the night before, the ones she had wanted to send to her mother, but why would Tucker do something like that?

A sneaking suspicion started niggling at the corners of his mind, and with a jolt of realization, he figured that something was horribly wrong with the Sowing Life Alchemist. Even for the genius of Ed's mind, he could not figure out how any alchemist would be able to create a chimera without using some kind of the forbidden stuff.

Ed bolted from the room, running to the main part of the library where he knew Harry would be. He was positive the wizard would be able to see something that he had missed, and Harry had never been entirely too comfortable around Tucker anyway.

He spotted the wizard reading along one of the far walls, and Al was nowhere in sight. He considered that a very good thing, considering his younger brother's attachment to the little girl.

"Harry! We need to go to the Library at Headquarters. It's important." With a small frown, Harry set aside his book and followed Ed from the Manor and further into the city, where the Library was.

At the front desk, Harry decided to do the talking, as Ed had filled him in the way down. "We're looking for information of alchemy, but not the simple stuff; specifically, we need the information on the talking chimera Shou Tucker created two years ago."

The librarian they were speaking to appeared thoughtful for a moment before looking at someone behind her. "Hey, Sciezka, you know anything about this?"

A mousy woman, young and wearing functional black rimmed glassed, currently holding a pile of books almost as tall as she was, peered at them from behind her stack. "The Tucker files are restricted; you don't have access."

Just as Ed was about to say something, Harry touched his shoulder. "Our watches prove we're certified Alchemists, but I'm guessing that our current rank probably isn't high enough to access the files, Ed. Am I right?" He directed the question to the mousy woman.

"You got it in one. Those watches are what got you in here in the first place, but you need clearance from the Brigadier General just to read those files." She said, trying to balance her stack of books, but with a yelp, she fell backwards, toppling all the books around her.

"The Brigadier General, huh?" Harry had a feeling he knew who the officer in question was.

"Surely, you've heard of him, the Iron Blood Alchemist. He's the authority on adapting alchemy for military tactics. If his name is attached, it must be some military secret."

Harry said nothing, his eyes darkening at the prospects of such a highly kept secret.

"This is getting... interesting." Ed couldn't have put it any better.

The two young alchemists left the library after that, having come to that dead end. A commotion at the bottom of the steps leading to the library doors attracted their attention, as a guard tried to keep a man out of the library.

"I told you, you can't go in there. This branch is for military use only! If you want access, you'll have to get a pass." The man, taller, and broader in the shoulder than the military guard, shouldered him out of his way.

"I was told this was the only place to find out!" As the figured came closer to them, ignoring the guard completely, Ed grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. Harry watched, noticing the oddly shaped scar on his face, like an x. He was darker skinned than almost all of the population in the city, with short white blond hair, and his eyes were hidden by the dark glasses he wore.

"What now?" He was fairly impatient, and was getting angrier by the second.

"Sorry, but pass the test like everyone else." The scarred man didn't even bother replying and tried to pull away from Ed's grip, but the sleeve ripped, revealing one of the strangest sights any of them had ever seen.

A thin scar circled his arm, and below that was some strange tattoo work all the way down to his hand. Ed couldn't fathom what the tattoo meant, or why the scarred man looked almost worried that other people had seen the thing. To Harry, the tattoo, what was visible, reminded him of the alchemic array he had used to destroy to Voldemort, at least, it reminded of a small part of the array.

The stranger bolted, snatching the torn sleeve from Ed's hands and running off in the opposite direction, the guard hot on his heels, calling for backup.

Ed looked at Harry, curiosity flashing in his golden eyes. "What was that all about, do you wonder?" Harry shook his head, troubled at the strange events that were staring to unfold.

"I don't know. We should head back before we're missed. We're still at a dead end."

"Let's see if Hughes knows anything. He likes us. He might tell us something."

"I'll see what Mustang knows."

* * *

"Look, Elysia, your big brother is here!!" Ed wore an embarrassed grin as his friend Maes Hughes showed off his month old daughter, his usual sappy grin plastered across his dopey face.

Gracia came to Ed's rescue and took the baby girl from the room, reminding her husband of the task at hand. As the door closed, Hughes heaved a huge sigh, shoulders drooping comically. "Well, back to work. You were asking about Tucker's chimera, right?"

"Yeah, with being in the Investigations Department, I thought you could tell us something."

Hughes regarded them with blatant interest. "Well, Ed, don't you live with the guy? Why don't you ask him yourselves?"

Ed had the common sense to look sheepish. "Well, he's so busy and all, what with the upcoming Assessment and all that."

"Hmm, I don't know too much about it myself. I do know the first chimera was what got him into the Alchemy Program, the first one ever to speak the human language."

"You're sure it was real?"

"Definitely. But it only spoke once. It said 'I want to die'." This was new information for the youngest alchemist, and disturbing information. "Apparently, it wouldn't eat after that and died."

"It was in a great deal of pain. But why would he make such a miserable thing?"

"Who knows? But someone in the military thought it had some sort of relevance. How do you think he got that mansion?"

"And what happened to Tucker's wife?"

Again, Hughes eyed him curiously. "What do you mean? She died before he arrived here in Central." At their surprise, he frowned. "Why? Is that wrong?"

The phone rang at that moment and the Major went over to the desk and answered it. "Yeah, go ahead. What?! The Serial Killer, you sure- aw hell!!"

"Come on, you're coming with me!"

* * *

"Harry, why are you asking me about Tucker's chimera? That information is classified." Although the Lt. Colonel was glad to see the younger man, he was concerned.

"Sir, there's more to the situation than you think, and I have a theory, but I need more information first. Something has been bothering me for a long time about Tucker, but I haven't been able to figure it out yet. Even Edward has noticed something is off. Can you tell me anything at all?"

Roy Mustang sighed. "There's not much to tell, really. Most of the information is restricted to almost all personnel here at Headquarters. According to Tucker's public file, he managed to create his talking chimera, which allowed him into our program before he arrived here in Central. He was just in time, too, for the Alchemy Exam. When he presented his research, the chimera proved it was the real thing by talking. All it said, though, was 'I want to die'. It refused to eat and died shortly after. I did managed to see the corpse before it was destroyed."

"What about Tucker's wife?"

"Harry, she's dead. Died before Tucker ever came here. Is something the matter?"

"Yeah, but I don't know what to make of it."

"Talk to me, Harry. Maybe I can help you."

"Roy, if I'm right, then you don't want to be any more involved. This may become very dangerous for you, and I mean politically. At this stage, you don't want to appear to know, or suspect, anything more than you should, and this is a situation you don't need." Roy was unreadable, his features carefully blank, and Harry was afraid that he had said the wrong thing. "I figured it out quite easily that you have some kind of plan in mind to move up through the ranks, that you have some political agenda. I've spent most of my live with people of similar agendas."

"Harry, you have to trust me, and talk to me. You're right; I do have an agenda of my own. But you, and those boys you seem to have adopted are also important to me. The youth of this world is what will make changes, so it's my job to ensure you have that future." Roy came around from behind his desk and took Harry's hands in his own, pulling the younger man closer to him. "I need you to be able to talk to me, Harry."

Harry's smile was forlorn and terribly sad. "I have always caused trouble for those close to me, whether I wanted it or not. That will not change simply because I am in another world. I understand how you feel, and I can help you somewhat. I can bring the attention to me, keeping you out of the limelight while you fulfill your political agenda. I can get the Elrics to help me, since they're just like me, and will be able to handle the scrutiny of our findings without bringing you down with us."

"I see what you're trying to say. I won't ask you again. Just be careful."

Harry smile warmed instantly. He leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss onto Roy's lips. "I will. And thank you. I do realize how hard it is for you to just let me be in this. I realize that you are very much concerned for the well being of those under your command. It's because you're partly responsible for us. One of my teachers was exactly the same way, although you could never get him to admit it." His grin turned cheeky and Roy had to laugh.

The phone rang just then and the Lt. Colonel frowned. Bringing the phone to his ear, his frown deepened. "Mustang here. Again? I'll be right there!" Setting the phone down, he grabbed his coat and started dragging Harry from the office.

"What's going on?"

Mustang looked grim as he released his grip on the younger man and Harry quickened his pace, keeping in stride with the other. "There's been another victim."

* * *

The crime scene was completely cordoned off, with no non-military personnel allowed anywhere near the block. The serial killer was long gone, and all the evidence had already been collected. The victim, another young woman, was at the back of a narrow dead end alleyway, covered up by a sheet. Lt. Hawkeye was kneeling beside the covered corpse, trying to comfort the victim's young child as he cried. It was likely the child had witnessed something of the murder.

Havoc, Mustang and Hughes managed to block the view of the alleyway with their bodies, standing just inside the narrow walls. Ed, brought along by Hughes, stared helplessly at the child, knowing all too well the devastating loss of a mother. Harry stood beside him, one hand on his shoulder as a somewhat comforting gesture.

Hughes let out a frustrated sigh. "That makes five now."

"Hasn't Investigations found anything yet?" There was a touch of steel hidden within Mustang's tone as he spoke. Hughes rubbed at his temples, trying to fend off an oncoming headache.

"Don't blame us."

Hawkeye started lifting the child away from the corpse, to take the boy somewhere else, but the child had a firm grip on the sheet covering up the body and it pulled away, even as he cried for his mother.

The dead woman was already in rigor, arms twisted upwards as though she had died trying to protect herself from her killer. Blood was everywhere, and her hair splayed out, matted and dirty from the dried blood and grime.

Harry noticed immediately when Ed tensed, his golden eyes going wide as a sudden image of his own dead mother flashed across his mind.

"Edward? Are you ok?" Harry stepped in front of the younger alchemist, but Ed's eyes were unfocused as his own mind played out a horrifying nightmare. Flashes of his mother's illness and death haunted the boy and images of the... thing they had created that fateful night also tormented him, brought forth from the depths of his mind at the sight of the gruesome corpse. Ed could vaguely hear someone calling his name, but he was too far into the living nightmare to notice or care.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Mustang came closer, recognizing the panic in Harry's eyes. He started forward as Ed suddenly started to fall backwards, eyes rolling in his head, and he managed to catch the younger alchemist before he could fall.

"Harry, what happened?" He demanded, bringing the younger man's attention to him. The wizard was pale, and frightened for his adopted younger brother.

"He was remembering! That night... the night I arrived." The reply was whispered, barely audible, and only Mustang picked up on it. With a frown and a worried glanced at his wizard, he called for his car to be ready, so that he could take the two teens home.

* * *

Ed woke up, startled and disoriented. He didn't know where he was and he didn't know what was going on, either. He looked around and saw Tucker beside his bed, and wondered what he was doing in bed. He also realized that he was only wearing his boxers beneath the sheet.

"Sounds like you saw something pretty awful, huh?" At Tucker's words, everything came back to Ed, and he looked around for Harry. The wizard was at the foot of his bed, staring at the wall. He was more pale than usual.

"Its no big deal." Ed looked away, choosing instead to stare out the window.

"You were crying out for your mother the whole time you were asleep. You... kept saying you were sorry." Ed stiffened at Tucker's words. "I've had my suspicions about you and your brother ever since I saw your bodies. Now I'm sure. I still don't know where Mr. Potter fits into your situation."

"My situation is different from the Elrics. The array I used was one to destroy, and I used myself to make it permanent. The result was ending with the Elric brothers at the time of their... incident." Harry voice was shaky, and he leveled a powerful glare in Tucker's direction. "My problems are none of your concern."

Tucker ignored him, focusing of Ed. "What you boys did; it was strictly forbidden. But I can understand. Science is a powerful thing, capable of so much. If you can, its difficult not to try." Harry rolled his eyes in contempt.

"Who are you?! What do you want?" Al's voice drifted up to the open door of the room, cautious and vulnerable. Ed scrambled out of the bed and pulled his clothes, not bothering with his usual red jacket and followed Harry downstairs, with Tucker right behind them.

In the main foyer of the mansion, Al was holding Nina by the stairs, and the little girl was scared at the newcomers. Harry immediately recognized the large man in military uniform as the Brigadier General from the Exam, the one who had given him such a hard time about his magic.

The Brigadier General had two of his flunkies aim rifles at them, including at Nina. Al was trying to cover her with his body, to protect her if the need arose.

"I don't know what Roy Mustang's been filling your head with, but the research of Shou Tucker falls under the jurisdiction of me, Bas Gran!"

"The Brigadier General. So that's you."

"The Sowing Life Alchemist is one of my top priorities, and I know you've been snooping around! I can no longer permit you three to take shelter at his estate." His words were final.

"Were we getting close to some hidden truth?" Harry asked, knowing full well that he was certainly asking for trouble.

"You have five minutes to get your things and get out of this estate."

Harry leveled his fiercest glare upon the Brigadier General, lightly pushing the Elrics back towards the stairs. "Fine. So be it."

After making some promises to Nina to visit, Harry led the Elrics away from the Tucker house. He knew that the Brigadier General was going to be a problem for them in the future. But, at the moment, they had more serious problems to think about, like accommodations for the night and the next few days.

"Come on, we'll go to Headquarters. We can stay there for the night." He said, dragging his suitcase behind him. Ed peered up at the older alchemist with a frown.

"Harry, you've met that General guy before, haven't you? That's why you stopped me from saying anything."

Harry nodded grimly. "Good observation. He was one of the officers at my hearing before the Exam, and he was also one of the alchemists overseeing our Alchemy exams. When I first spoke to him, he immediately wanted to know whether my magic was found in other people aside from just me, and if it could be used in war. I never liked the bastard." He kept glancing back behind them as they walked through the diminishing snow, suspecting that they might have someone tailing them. He certainly wouldn't dismiss it.

"We should go to the dorms closest the colonel's office. Someone should be there to assign us rooms. The closest we are to our C.O., we should be safer, and it's always better to ere on the side of caution."

"Is everything alright, Harry?" Al seemed nervous, and he, too, started looking behind him. "You're a lot more paranoid than usual."

"Is there a cause of your rise in paranoia?" Ed asked.

Harry shrugged. "There may be. I just don't trust men like that Bas Gran, and I have very good reasons not to. I really hope that I am just being paranoid, but it's not really paranoia if they're really out to get you."

"We're almost there. Who should we talk to about getting some dorm rooms for us?" Ed pointed ahead to the east side of Headquarters. Harry squinted, discerning someone familiar ahead of them.

"I think Fury's there. He should be able to help us, or least point us in the right direction."

They settled quickly into a couple of rooms for the night, thanking Fury for his help, and Harry cast a few wards on the doors and windows, including a few proximity spells on the doors specifically. It was then that they settled into sleep, with a plan to inform Mustang of the recent development in the morning.

So it was several hours later when Harry met with Mustang in his office, settled beside the older man on the couch in, held comfortably in Roy's loose embrace, distracted by recent events. Harry sighed, brow furrowed, and Roy frowned.

"Harry, I noticed in the logs that you and the boys are no longer at Tucker's place." He said quietly, calmly stating the fact.

Harry rested his head on Roy's shoulder. "There is a reason for that. Bas Gran found out that we were snooping into Tucker's research and kicked us out last night. How he found out, I have no idea."

"And this has to do with your theory that you can't talk about?"

He smiled up at Mustang, his green eyes clouded and sad. "You're very perceptive. And yes, you're right Roy. The General's actions last night just confirm to me that there is something, potentially very wrong, worth the effort to hide, in Tucker's chimera research. But I have no proof, just speculation, and that will get me nowhere." Harry sighed again. "I just wish I could do something about it, because now I'm worried about Nina, too."

Roy pressed a small kiss to Harry's temple. "You'll figure it out. And if you don't, Edward will. You're all very smart, but just be careful."

"I will. I promise."

They stayed the way they were for at least another hour before Roy had to get back to his paperwork, and Harry left the office in search of his adoptive brothers, where they were essentially hiding out in the dorm rooms.

* * *

It was that evening, just before dusk, when Ed came up with the idea to break into the Tucker Estate, in order to answer the questions they had that need immediate answers. Also, Al only agreed because he was getting worried about Nina, once he heard the suspicions Harry and Ed had, a worry that the other two also shared.

It took almost no effort at all to actually break into the Estate, even considering the armed guards at the gates. Harry stunned them with silent spells, and Ed used alchemy to open one of the windows for them to use to get in.

The House was empty and silent. Chillingly cold, and something felt very wrong in the air. Al again opted to be the voice of concern. "Are you guys sure this is a good idea? What if you lose your certification for this?"

"If that's what it takes to prove us wrong tonight, than so be it."

"This way. You can start to hear something, and I don't like it." Harry ushered them down a set of stairs into the basement on the Manor house, where candles cast a dim light throughout the large laboratory. As they stepped through the threshold of the basement, they stopped, struck still in place at the sight before them.

Cages of all sizes held misshapen creatures of various features, every single one of them yowling and screeching, eyes glowing reddish in the dim light. Chains were attached to many of them, confining the poor misbegotten creatures even further.

"Over here!" Tucker's voice drifted through the din from a room on the far side of the basement. With a wary glance at each other, the three young Alchemists made their way carefully through the prisons full of chimera.

Opening the door, they were faced with Tucker staring down at something with his back facing them. "Come on in, boys."

A quick look around the small room revealed alchemic arrays painted on everything, the walls, the ceiling, and the floor. Each array was different, and not all of them were created with paint or ink. Scattered notes were everywhere, and something suspiciously like blood dripped on the corner of the only table in the room.

"I told you I'd let you see." Tucker stepped aside, revealing a canine chimera, achingly familiar. "It's a perfect version; a chimera that knows the human tongue!" The Sowing Life Alchemist was almost excited.

He knelt down beside the beast and smiled benignly. "Listen, dear, those are your friends, Edward and Harry. Even Al's here."

"Edward... friend?" The creature's speech was slow, and childlike.

"That's very good!"

"Very... Good."

Al hadn't made the connection yet, na?e as he was. "Unbelievable! It really can talk!"

Tucker stood from his kneeling position and grinned. "Ah! I'll have no problem getting the funding now! I can't believe I didn't see it; the other was too old to adapt!"

Ed walked forward and fell slowly to his knees in front of the docile chimera, his face hidden by his golden hair. The canine creature sniffed at his and nudged against his hips. The watch fell from his pocket clanging against the stone floor.

"Edward, my... friend." The beast spoke again, still very slowly. Ed mumbled something, unable to fully look at the creature before him. "Edward, why does it... hurt here?" Ed Flinched and stood quickly. Harry remained where he was, never taking his eyes off of Tucker, fists clenched tightly.

It seemed that Al was finally realizing the severity of the situation. "Brother?" He looked back from Harry to Ed and back again.

"So, Tucker..." Ed was trying to restrain his anger.

"Is something wrong?"

"When was the first time you made one of these?" Harry asked, his voice clipped and cold.

"These human speaking chimeras."

"I thought I told you. It's been two years now."

"And when exactly did your wife leave you?"

"Two years ago. Why?"

"And those letters, that Nina wrote, did any of them actually reach her?"

"Edward, what are you getting at?"

"Tell me this; where have Alexander and Nina gone to?" Ed was furious and horrified.

Tucker didn't respond right away. When he did, Harry could see very clearly that he had lost all reasoning, all his morals. "I hate prodigies like you, Ed; too damn perceptive."

Al took a tiny step forward, raising his hand as though he wanted to do something. "What's going on?" He sounded like he really didn't want to know the answer.

Harry lunged forward, slamming Tucker into the wall. "This guy used his own wife, Al!"

"And... this time?"

"His daughter, and his dog." Harry said quietly, never taking his flashing eyes away from Tucker.

"His own daughter! He transmuted them into that thing!" Ed was furious; he had failed Nina, and he wanted desperately to do something about it. "An easy process when you use people, right?!"

"Why are you getting so upset, Edward? It's the nature of scientific progress; animal testing, experimentation, trial and error! All advancements have a price!"

"Shut up!!" Harry shoved the other Alchemist further against the wall, too angry to speak, hopefully leaving bruises, and only moving aside as Ed punched the man. "I'm not going to let you rationalize this, you monster! That was your own family, damn it! You've been toying with people's lives!"

Tucker took a few moments to respond as Ed's harsh words sank in through to his mind. "Toying with lives?" He couldn't stop smiling, laughing in the little remnant of his darkened and bitter soul. "What? Like your arm and leg there? Or your brother's body, and Harry's leg? Or trying to bring your mother back? That's 'toying', isn't it? You don't think you're really any different from me, do you Ed?"

The young blonde's metal fist slammed into his face, sending his glasses broken and flying as his head was forced to bang painfully into the stone wall behind him. Eyes twitching, Tucker started laughing brokenly, softly, but growing in volume and instability.

Ed pulled back for another blow, but Harry stepped forward and grabbed a hold of his wrist. Looking back and up and his adoptive brother, Ed watched as Harry shook his head. Al stepped forward, further into that small, hellish room, and he suddenly seemed as dangerous as an angry bear, large and intimidating.

"Why, Mr. Tucker? The whole point was to pass the Assessment and continue your way of life, but now your family's gone. What life is left?!"

Tucker stared past Ed and Harry, not quite actually seeing Al. "That's the funny thing; I didn't have a reason. I fully understood that no matter what I did, my life was ruined. I could do it with the science or without, and so I chose science to see if I could."

The two Elrics were stunned. Neither could even begin to think of anything to say in response to the insanity they were hearing. Harry's tightly clenched fists shook as he regarded the older Alchemist with loathing and something very close to hate.

"People like you make me sick. What kind of man...?"

"When you have the power to do something, it's hard not to try, isn't that what we agreed on, Ed? Aren't we so much alike?"

"No!"

"Sure, part of me did it for respect and this house, just as you partly did it for your mother, but there's more! You're desperate to put your mind to use, Ed; to see what you're capable of, to put the world under your fingers! That's the essence of Alchemy; you did it for knowledge and control! And above all else, you did it just to prove you can!" Tucker just watched them as he spoke, his lip bleeding from Ed's first punch, sky blue eyes glittering with madness.

Ed moved to punch the bastard again, but Harry was quicker and he tore the younger blonde away from Tucker, punching the man himself. The force behind his fist sent Tucker to the floor, and with a snap of his fingers to focus and control his magic, Harry uttered one word he never thought he'd use again.

"Crucio."

As Tucker started screaming instantly and writhing under the spell, clearly in an extraordinary amount of pain, Harry showed no remorse, and certainly no compassion for this person, this wannabe Deatheater of this world. People like Tucker, and he also suspected Bas Gran as well, were what the Deatheaters in his world had been like, the lifeblood of the cruelty suffered in the world, be it this one or his own. He would show nothing, not that he felt anything beyond anger.

"You really need to stop with all the bullshit. Ed is nothing like you, and he never will be. His set of morals are backed by a much stronger determination than you could ever be capable of. I am much more Darker in nature." Harry said, his voice carefully void of any emotion, perfectly blank.

Without removing the spell, he calmly explained the properties of this particular Dark spell to his adoptive brothers. "The unique thing about this curse, the Cruciatus Curse, is that you, as the caster, must really intend to hurt your victim. The strength of this torture curse lies in the intentions of the caster. You have to want to hurt your victim, and badly, for the Curse to have any effect. The only other time I have cast this spell, it didn't work, since I was, at the time, unable to truly think of causing anyone pain, although it was necessary."

A low growl reached his ears beneath the screams, and a tug on his cloak caused Harry to break off the spell and looked down behind him. The Nina chimera continued to growl at him threateningly, the hem of his green cloak clutched between its teeth, and Harry's resolve broke. Tears started to fall silently down his face as he released the curse.

Ed knelt down in front of the beast, laying one gloved hand to rest on its head. "No, big brother." It said brokenly, still awkward in its speech.

Ed tried to smile. "Nina, I want you to bear with us, okay?" Harry looked away, knowing what it was that Ed wanted to do. "This may hurt a little." He held his hands up in front of him, ready to clap.

"Ed, no! You're not going to try and split them up, are you? You don't know how!" Al knew that none of them could even begin to try what they all wanted to do; to return Nina and Alexander back to their normal selves.

Tucker, recovering from the Cruciatus, laughed at Ed. "The chimera's a perfect transmutation, fused to the core. They're no way to separate them now! Careful; you'll just do to them what you did to your mother!" The mocking words made Ed flinch.

The chimera went and sat down in front of Al's hulking armor and the younger Elric had to kneel in order to pet the soft fur. "You promised you'd come and play with me."

Al's voice wavered with unshed ghostly tears. "I know."

A commotion at the door revealed the Brigadier General Bas Gran and several armed soldiers with their weapons trained on them. The tall and imposing General glared at them, sneering.

"Assaulting army personnel? What the hell's going on?"

"Spare me, Sir. He used his own daughter." Ed spoke quietly, but the General caught his words easily and his cold beady eyes narrowed. Even he knew that went against everything the Military stood for, at least if the knowledge was known and public.

Very quickly, he gave the orders for the Nina chimera to be caged for study later and arrested Tucker, while herding the Elric Brothers and Harry outside of the Manor house, keeping the three of them within his sight at all times. More soldiers under the Brigadier General's command loaded a standard military truck with the large cage and shoved Tucker inside.

"Tucker will face a court martial and we'll take the chimera with us." He said, allowing no room for argument, although Ed looked like he wanted to try. "Naturally, you're to tell no one of what you saw tonight."

As Ed opened his mouth to object, Harry stepped in front of him, seemingly to protect the younger alchemist. "Ed, now is not the time. You'll just get hurt, even though we all know he's going to cover this up." Harry didn't bother lowering his voice, openly showing the Brigadier General what he though of him.

Bas Gran gave them one last cold stare before ordering his men to pack up and haul out, leaving them stranded in front of the house.

As the two trucks started pulling away, Harry used a petrifying spell on Ed to stop him from doing something stupid, and ran after the trucks. Getting closer before they could speed up and be out of his reach, he cast Alohamora, unlocking both Nina's cage and the back of the truck, and Nina jumped out. The trucks continued off away, completely unaware of the chimera's sudden disappearance.

Cautiously, the chimera approached them, wary due to the night's events. Slowly, the chimera reached them, and Harry removed the spell on Ed, allowing him to kneel down beside Nina. Al remained standing, ever vigilant of their surroundings.

"I stopped you from doing whatever you were going to do because this way, they won't know she's missing until they back to Headquarters." Harry explained and Ed sighed. He knew it was the truth.

Instead, he had a question. "So, what do we do now?"

"I think it would be best if you two headed for the dorms. I'll meet up with you later, and maybe everything will be okay. But don't forget; we all failed her. Saving her in this fashion will not restore her, and it will never be enough. This should never have happened." Harry conjured a type of leash, securing it around Nina's thick neck. "I'll take her someplace safe."

Ed and Al nodded. "If you're sure, Harry. Don't be too long, and please, be careful."

Harry smiled, but it was bittersweet. "I will."

With another muttered spell, he vanished with Nina, and the Elric brothers left quickly, exhausted after the night's draining events.

None of them had been aware of being watched by a darker skinned man, with an unusual scar on his face. The man, whom Ed had met earlier at the Library, had seen everything, and he stared at the spot where Harry and Nina had once stood, his tattooed arm twitching as his hand closed into a fist. With thoughts swirling in his head and a goal established, he disappeared deeper into the shadows, vowing to bring an end to all the alchemists with demon hearts. No one would be spared and none would know the mercy of his God.

* * *

Harry and Nina reappeared in a darkened alley close to the home of the only person he could risk going to for help. Luckily, at this time of night, the streets were deserted, especially in the residential areas, and he hurried to the house he wanted, gently urging and encouraging Nina to follow him. The chimera whined a few times, but otherwise, she followed him obediently.

A light was still on in one of the curtained windows, and Harry hid the chimera in the bushes in the front of the house before knocking softly on the door. He only had to wait a few minutes before the door was opened and he was greeted with Maes Hughes, just about ready for bed.

"Harry? What are you doing here?" He asked, opening the door to usher him in.

"Major Hughes, you know that I wouldn't come to you this late at night without a damn good reason, and there was no one else I could go to for help, right?" He asked, perhaps a little desperately, and Maes frowned.

"Harry, what happened? Are the Elrics alright?"

"They're fine, and safe now. Can I show you something?"

Without waiting for a reply, somehow knowing that Maes would help him, he tugged lightly on the leash, bringing the Nina chimera into the faint light of the open doorway. It whined, and for once, the Major was speechless.

"Can we talk inside? It's not safe out here." Still grasping for the words, Maes nodded and hurried them into his study. He slumped into his chair behind the desk and took a deep breath.

"How?"

"This is a chimera, created by Shou Tucker. He created it earlier tonight. The secret behind his talking chimeras is that he uses humans, Maes. This is his daughter, that sweet little girl at Elysia's birth, and his dog."

"Why do you have it?"

"Because Bas Gran was going to use her as a test subject. She still knows who we are, Maes! She recognized us! We, I couldn't let them take her, and she deserves better than that, even in this form!"

Maes Hughes stared at the beast, rubbing at his forehead with one hand. "And you came to me and not Roy because of what?"

"This could put Roy in too much danger. You work with potentially dangerous things, information among other things, all the time, I'm sure, and you have the discretion and resources to see that she will survive somewhere. She just needs a safe place to go right now, and I can take care of her after everything is all said and done. But right now I can't, and I'll be damned twice over if I can't keep her safe. We failed her before, I can't fail to protect her again." He rubbed at his face, feeling the weight of the night descending. "Tucker did it just to prove he could. He didn't care about Nina at all."

Maes was quiet for a long time, and while the silence that fell wasn't oppressing, there was a sense of urgency. Harry knew that he was asking a lot of his friend, but he didn't know all that much about this world to know what to do himself.

Finally, Maes sighed and he reached over his desk to pet the soft fur of the chimera. "I guess I can do something for you, Harry. You know you risked a lot, both with your military career and with mine, by coming here, and if Roy finds out, he'll be crushed that you couldn't come to him. I think the chimera would be safest in Risenbul, actually, with the creators of your automail, the Rockbells. I can arrange a safe transport to get there, but I'm afraid that until another option opens up, that's the best that I can do."

Harry smiled, grateful. "Thank you. I'll tell Roy the first chance I can."

"Don't you think I'm doing this just for you. I'm doing this to help Nina. She's just as cute as I want my little Elysia to be at that age, and because this shouldn't have happened. No child deserves to go through that kind of pain, and I'm horrified because I keep thinking of my own daughter." Maes offered Harry a weak smile that didn't reach his yellow eyes. "You should get out of here. Nina can stay safe here for a few days until I can get her to Risenbul."

"Okay. Again, thank you." Harry left Nina with Hughes, and with a quick goodbye to the chimera he apparated to the dorm he shared with the Elrics, who had already arrived.

Exhaustion quickly led the three of them to sweet slumber, where nightmares haunted their dreams, as rain poured down from the heavens.

A/N: AND THE CHAPTER IS DONE! YAY! THIS WAS A REALLY HARD CHAPTER TO WRITE, AND I'M STILL NOT TOTALLY HAPPY WITH IT EITHER. I WILL WAIT TO POST THE NEXT CHAPTER UNTIL I CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT I SHOULD KEEP THIS CHAPTER AS IT IS OR CHANGE IT. I DON'T KNOW YET. THE MORE CONSTRUCTIVE REVIEWS I GET WILL HELP ME DECIDE, AND PLEASE, DON'T JUST TELL ME THAT I NEED TO UPDATE MORE OFTEN. THANK YOU FOR READING.


	6. Ch 6: THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE

BROTHERS IN ARMS

LADY SHINIGAMI

DISCLAIMER: SEE CHAPTER 1.

CHAPTER 6: THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE

Despite the heavy rain from the night before, the day shone brightly with a cheerful sun as Ed, Al and Harry waited for their orders concerning Tucker's lab.

Early this morning, Bas Gran had stormed into Mustang's office, accusing Harry of stealing the missing chimera created from Tucker's daughter Nina, but there was actually no proof at all, as Harry had been seen in the dorms the previous night, and Mustang had made it clear that Harry could not have been in two places at once, and that the Brigadier General should leave his staff alone, unless he had solid proof. Gran was forced to leave, but his glare could have killed.

Once the General was gone and well out of hearing range, Roy focused a glare of his own on Harry, scowling at Ed. "My office. Now." His tone left absolutely no room for argument.

Harry stood up from his seat near Havoc's desk, motioning for Ed to stay where he was. "I can explain this. You wait for our orders." Ed nodded as Harry followed Mustang into his office, closing the door behind him.

Harry was tense, stiff from the long events of the previous night and nightmares that had plagued his dreams. He refused to look Roy directly in the eye, not wishing to see the anger from someone he was starting to care about directed at him.

"Well? Why did I save your ass from Bas Gran?"

Harry sighed and gave him a quick account of the previous night, explaining in short how his theory developed and just how he was proven right, adding that Edward had also been thinking along the same lines as well. He also told Roy about Nina, how the chimera still retained something of it's former self, actually recognizing Ed and Al.

"Sir, you've told me that the Military does not abide for human transmutation, as it is forbidden, but I suspect that the Brigadier General will cover up the truth of this matter. That Tucker did that to his own daughter is horrifying, and yes, I did escape with Nina, but I would do it again, and you know that I would." Harry finished with that statement, and he looked up, his eyes seeking Roy's.

The older man didn't say anything at first, gathering up his thoughts, and a silence stretched out slowly. Finally, he brought one gloved hand up to run through his hair, closing his eyes with a sigh. "Yes, I do know that. I think I understand why you did what you did, but didn't I tell you to be careful?"

A feeble smile crept up on Harry's face, crinkling his scar. "I've tried to be, really, I have. I just attract trouble. You should have been there for some of my... memorable exploits back home. Remind me at a better time to tell you about a few of my more reckless adventures."

Roy smiled, a familiar glint gleaming in his black eyes. "I'll hold you to that, Harry. I'll get Ed started on your next assignment, then I'd like to discuss a few things with you before I send you off after him." He picked up a folder off his desk and left the office, handing the assignment to Havoc. With a nod, Havoc led Ed and Al from the office and down to one of the basements.

"Why so glum, Elric?" Havoc asked, glancing behind at the young Alchemist.

"This job's a little more real than I had thought it would be, at least in this stage of the game. I still can't get over the fact that he did that to his own daughter." Ed said in response, shoulders hunched.

"I think Harry had a harder time dealing with it than you, Brother. You know how much he values family." Al's reminder made Ed sigh, and he nodded.

"Yeah, you're right, Al. So, what's this assignment you have for us?"

Havoc stopped in front of closed door, grabbed the handle and pulled it open. A torrent of sound assaulted them as the Lieutenant gestured at the contents of the room. The events of the previous night came back into focus as Ed and Al stared at the assembled mess of stacked cages, and masses of journals, notebooks and scattered papers taken from the basement of Tucker's mansion.

"Your orders are to go through and organize all of this stuff. You should familiarize yourselves with the results of Tucker's experiments."

"You want me to take over that maniac's research?" Ed was outraged, and the sight of the experiments sickened him.

Havoc looked down at the young Alchemist, unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth. "True, he might have gone about it the wrong way, but some his findings could have great use for the Military."

"Why don't you let that whackjob help you himself?!"

Havoc's stare was slightly cold, distant. "He can't. He's dead. His guilt was so obvious that the higher-ups decided to forego the embarrassment of a trial and skip straight to the execution."

Ed opened his mouth to protest, but Havoc cut him off before he could even start. "Its not wise to question the wisdom of the Military. See, that's the first Law of State Alchemy, Ed." He handed the younger blonde a book in which he was supposed to record his findings and stalked off.

It was about twenty minutes later when Harry arrived, and the room had already been somewhat tidied by Al. Ed had moved the cages against one wall, and was sitting in front of one of the cages, throwing feed to the experiment within, while Al was going through some of the books and journals.

Harry sighed and closed the door behind him. He should have figured that Edward would start sulking once he knew what their assignment was, but he had figured that he would also look to the bright side of this whole nasty, messy situation, seeing as how Nina was still alive.

He moved over to where Al was working, kneeling down beside the suit of armor to help him out. "So, any progress made?"

"Yeah, it's interesting. It seems that Tucker was doing a lot of research into the Philosopher's Stone." He said, showing Harry a few of the research notes he'd found. "There's probably a lot more in here, too. Well, as soon as we can get through this mess."

"Whoop-di-flippin'-do."

Al sighed. "How long do you plan on sulking like this, Brother?"

"Do you realize the power the Philosopher's Stone holds for Alchemists? There was even one in my world."

"We could bypass all the laws of Alchemy, including Equivalent Exchange. We could do the things we weren't able to do before. We could-!" The thrown sack of animal feed cut Alphonse off in the middle of his sentence.

"We can't do anything! It's just a bedtime story; it doesn't exist!"

Al pulled the sack off his armored 'head', letting it drop to the floor. "But even a certified State Alchemist like Tucker was looking into the research behind it."

Ed swiped his gloved hand in front of him, in a decisive dismissive motion. "I don't care what that lunatic was doing or researching! We still weren't able to save Nina!"

"You're wrong about that, Edward Elric!" Harry moved to grab the younger boy by the shoulders, shaking him once. "She's still alive! She's safe now!"

"But we weren't able to stop it from happening! How is that saving her?" Ed sneered at Harry. "Everyone thinks we're so freakin' smart; well, then why weren't we able to prevent it from happening in the first place!"

The blond broke away from Harry's grip on him, looking down to where he'd been fingering the coveted pocket watch that hung at his hip. He quickly unclipped it from his belt and handed the silver watch to Harry before stalking off through the doors and out into the hall.

Harry and Al could only watch him go. Harry sighed and turned to the large armor behind him. "Go after him. He's only lost his way for the time being."

Alphonse nodded and started off after his brother while Harry cast a few spells on the room, his magic doing its work before he went in the other direction towards Mustang's office to give him this latest development.

The animated armor that was currently Alphonse Elric caught to his brother as he was leaving the main building of Central Headquarters, and as Ed walked right past him, Al followed him only a few steps behind.

"Brother?"

With no immediate reply, Al was starting to get frustrated his brother's mood and temper. "Hold on, Ed! You're the not only one who's upset. We couldn't do anything to save Nina from being turned into a chimera, but we're alchemists, not police. We can't catch a killer, but we can put our talents to better use at research so that if we ever do come across another girl like Nina, we can..." He trailed off as Ed sped away from him, ignoring him.

Ed didn't stop running until he was well into the city streets, the building surrounding him blocking off the view of the Military Headquarters. He just... he felt so helpless, useless! His harsh words to Harry he felt were true. If he was so smart, the genius they all proclaimed him to be, then why hadn't he been able to prevent Nina's Transmutation? What good was he if he couldn't save the people he cared about?

It was like loosing Al's body all over again, really. His own foolishness and pride had cost him greatly then, and he'd been helpless to stop it. Edward was starting to hate that feeling with a passion that threatened to consume him.

Nina hadn't deserved to be turned into such an abomination. She had been the poster girl for everything cute and innocent!

So caught up in his thoughts, Ed failed to notice the other man walking down the street until he'd collided with the tall man. He paused, turning to look at the person he'd bumped into and he felt his eyes widen in recognition. He could see the same recognition in the other man's face even behind the dark sunglasses.

"It's you."

"You were," Ed recalled the other day when he'd first encountered this man. "You were outside the Library."

"Tell me, if you have access to the Library in Central, then that makes you a State Alchemist."

Ed grimaced, remembering that he'd effectively resigned when he had turned his watch over to Harry earlier. "Well, I was, yeah. But that's all behind me now."

The other man regarded him silently for a moment, his face blank of any emotion. "Really? You're better off." He turned away from Ed and walked away, muttering as he went, clutching at his left arm, remembering the poor fool he'd found last night after witnessing the escape of that monster.

"Because, if you were still a State Alchemist, then this arm would destroy you."

* * *

Elsewhere, at the train station, a young blond girl carrying only a single suitcase got off one of the new arrival trains. She smiled to herself gleefully, remembering the letter she'd gotten the other day.

"I can't wait to Ed and Al's faces. They'd never expect me to come all the way here just to congratulate them. It'll be good to see Harry again, too." She hefted her suitcase and ambled off, a bounce in her step. Winry grinned, quite giddy. "Surprise!"

* * *

Just off the main courtyard of Central Headquarters, Al had managed to corner one of Mustang's subordinates, Lieutenant Hawkeye, to ask her some questions he had. Al hadn't met all of the Colonel's staff yet, but the lieutenant seemed rather nice, if strict, and she was pretty, too.

"Have you ever seen it? What can you tell me about it?"

"Not too much. I'm afraid I haven't heard anything too substantial about the Philosopher's Stone. Well, about it ever actually existing, anyway. As far as I know, it's just a legend."

"I see." His disappointment was almost tangible.

Riza Hawkeye could see this, and she was already starting to feel somewhat... protective over the younger boys now in her Colonel's care, so she quickly glanced around for anyone that may be listening in. Seeing no one, she leaned in and lowered her voice. "But I can say that if you know what's bets for you, you'd find another hobby to pursue."

Alphonse fidgeted slightly, wary now at the Lieutenant's cautionary words.

"It's been said that bad things have a way of happening to those who seek the Philosopher's Stone."

A direct and authoritative voice startled both of them from behind Al's armor body. "Did someone say the Philosopher's Stone?"

As Alphonse stepped aside to look behind him, Hawkeye snapped a salute to the broad shouldered officer standing there. Seeing her reaction, Al leaned in closer to her and pointed to him. "Who is this guy?"

Riza was stunned and she gaped momentarily at her hollow companion. "A-are you kidding?! This 'guy' is-!"

The officer raised one hand, silencing the female sharpshooter from revealing his identity to the boy. With a smile, he turned his attention to the armor looming above even his height. "So, you'd like to get your hands on the Stone, is that right, son?"

Al stiffened at the question, showing some respect for the high ranked officer addressing him. "Yes, sir."

"And why do you want it?" Even behind the eye patch covering one eye, there was a smile lurking in his gaze.

"For hum- Ah, I mean, I need to recover something important that my brother lost."

"Is that so? This brother of yours must be very special to you." At that simple comment, Al laughed, a little embarrassed. "It's some undertaking; the crusade you're embarking on is as old as Alchemy itself. Personally, I try to stay above it, but from time to time, you'll hear about some alchemist who's succeeded in forging a Stone. Such rumors naturally have a way of congregating around Military personnel, so there should be plenty of records on the subject down at the National Library."

"Is that true?" Alphonse was starting to get excited again since first discovering about the Philosopher's Stone. Riza Hawkeye remained silent at his side.

"Most assuredly. Of course, only State Alchemists have access to it."

At this, Al sighed. Defeated, once again. But wait... "So what you're saying is, any State Alchemist could find out more about this thing?" He bowed quickly in courtesy before running off. "Ah, excuse me!"

Once Alphone was out of hearing range, Hawkeye glanced at her superior, the Fuhrer. "With all due respect, Sir, why would you encourage him to chase a futile pursuit like that?"

Fuhrer King Bradley grinned, caressing his chin in thought. "I think it's a good thing for youngsters to have dreams to follow. Don't you agree with me, 2nd Lieutenant?"

Riza regarded the man for a moment, before nodding briefly. "...Yes, Sir."

* * *

Harry was once again lounging on the couch inside Mustang's inner office, a frown marring his face as he casually tossed a silver watch over and over again in the air before catching it.

The Colonel was at his desk, going through his constant paperwork, every now and then glancing at the young man nearby.

"You're worried about him."

Harry caught the tossed watch again and sighed. "Yes, of course I am. I think this is the first time he's ever come close to losing his way, of loosing sight of his goals. Normally, he defines the terms 'stubbornness' and 'determination', but this time, he just seems... well, lost."

"He'll find his way. You know he will." The scratching of Mustang's pen on paper was the only sound to break the silence.

"So how is the job I ordered you three to do going?"

Harry snorted, cracking a grin. "Well, it's hardly a three person job, so as Ed and Al are wondering around out there, I've set my magic to organizing the mess from Tucker's place, with very specific instructions. However, I have no idea myself what could be important to the Military about his research, nor do I think I have to clearance to know, so once it's all been organized, someone else will have to go through it."

It was Harry's rather flippant tone that caused Roy's smirk, but he put down his pen and stepped away from his desk, quickly eating up the short distance to the couch where Harry lay reclined.

He leaned down and placing one gloved hand on the couch behind Harry, the other hand casually in his pocket, he captured the younger man's lips in delicate kiss, releasing him after only a moment.

"You're not secretly a politician, are you? Because you're damn good at reading between the lines in the orders you are given."

"What can I say? Guess I was taught by the best manipulative bastards in both worlds." He grinned, and as Roy moved back, he stood up and stretched. "I've been thinking about something lately."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I'd like to get a military uniform."

Roy raised one black eyebrow in question. "And what prompted this train of thought?"

"The Amestrian Military has just gained three new members, but as of yet, there is no physical ties to that. Ed, well, we both know that he will never wear the uniform, just on principle, really, and Al can't, even if he would want to wear one, so that leaves me. I don't see a way for me to return home again, so I need to start making one here. That includes getting a job to ground me here, which I've done, and accepting every aspect of that. That includes the Military uniform." Harry shrugged. "Besides, there are worse things in the world."

Roy nodded. "I'll see to it, then."

"Great. Now, I should probably check on my progress with Tucker's research and find out where my wayward brothers have gone to." Harry placed a quick kiss to Mustang's cheek, grinning at the slight pinkish tinge that appeared with the action. He poked his superior in the chest lightly with one finger, smirking, and dropping the watch he's been tossing on Roy's desk. "And you need to get back to work. I noticed that Lieutenant of yours, Hawkeye I think, seemed a little twitchy with her gun when you're supposed to be working."

Roy shuddered, moving back to his desk. "You're so observant it's scary. Get out of here; you have work of your own to catch up on, and send Falman in on your way out."

With a laugh that lingered in Roy's ears, Harry left the office, with a casual wave to the man behind him.

* * *

Edward had managed to make it back to Headquarters and made his way to the mess hall, which was only filled with a few scattered pockets of personnel, leaving several empty tables.

He filled a tray with food and with a book tucked under his arm that he'd nicked from the Library about a half hour ago, he settled down at one of the empty tables to do his own research.

Suddenly, there was a familiar photo in front of his face, and he felt a twitch from his forehead.

"What do you think? I know, you're thinking that she takes after me, right? Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!" The incessantly cheerful voice of Maes Hughes accompanied the photo of newborn Elysia and Ed smacked the annoying hand away from him.

"I've seen that same picture a dozen times already!"

Maes, completely unruffled by Ed's mood, calmly slipped his precious picture into his breast pocket, a knowing grin plastered across his face. "Now now, Ed, there's no need for that attitude, is there? Not when I've shared some classified files on the serial killer with you."

"Yeah, and you owe me for the train and delivering your baby, so what else d'you got?"

Maes leaned back in his chair beside Ed, clasping his hands behind his head. "Touché, touché, well, the investigation's at a standstill. We've got no clues and no witnesses to go on. The bodies are all sliced and diced, but none of us can figure out how he does it in such a short time."

Ed dropped his gaze back to the open book in front of him, his tray of food in danger while in front of his friend beside him. "Maybe he killed them somewhere else and moved the bodies later. How long between the time of death and when they were found?"

As Hughes stole one of his bread rolls, he jerked his food closer to him. "We've come a long way, but even with modern science, we can't figure that." He broke the roll in his hand in half, with Ed grabbing one half away from him. "But between us and the police, we must have checked the trunks of every single car entering or exiting the City."

"There must be some sort of blind spot you're missing here." Ed kept his gaze down at his book, for all intents and purposes, ignoring the Major munching away at his lunch. "A car that can hide bodies, or a-"

"Or maybe, it's all been the work of an Alchemist."

Ed flinched at Hughes' remark. "Alchemists are not cold blooded murderers!"

He rounded on his older friend, but Maes just grinned and spread his hands in unspoken apology. Ed stared at him for a moment before settling back down.

They remained in silent company for a few more minutes longer before a shadow fell across Ed's place in his book.

He looked up at another soldier from across the table. "Excuse me, sir? Are you Edward Elric?"

"Who's asking?"

"There's a visitor here to see you, waiting out front."

"A visitor?" Ed and Hughes shared questioning looks before the blond shrugged and stood to follow the soldier from the mess hall. Just as they were leaving, Harry came through the open doors, and Ed paused, waiting for Harry to come closer.

"Hey, Ed, where are you going?"

"I have a visitor, believe it or not. I left Hughes at the table back there, we were discussing some things about the case he's working on, if you're interested."

Harry nodded. "Sure. You doing all right? Have you seen Al?"

Ed shook his head, and he started following the soldier waiting for him. "No, but I'm sure he's around."

Then he was gone from the Mess and Harry found his way to where Maes Hughes was finishing off Ed's forgotten lunch. With a laugh, he took Ed's chair and grinned at the older man.

"So, Hughes, Ed mentioned in passing about the case. Still nothing new?"

Maes paused in his eating and sighed, shaking his head in the negative. "Nah, and it's starting to make the higher ups a little nervous. I've got them breathing down my neck over at Investigations."

"Do you have any ideas at all? Nothing?"

"Ed mentioned that maybe the victims were killed somewhere else, but that opens up a whole new can of worms, so to speak."

Harry frowned. "Yeah, I guess that doesn't really help you in solving the case, does it?"

* * *

"That's odd." They had arrived at the courtyard in front of the main lobby, but there was no one is sight. "I told her to wait right here. I wonder where she could have wondered off to."

Ed looked about, moving down the stone steps, noting the suitcase and abandoned jacket in the shade of the building.

"What's up, Mr. Elric?"

Ed ignored the guy, following what seemed to be condensation marks on the ground. Light glinted off a screw, and he picked it up, recognizing the make of it. "Is this...?"

Quickly, he pulled off the glove hiding his automail hand and compared the solitary screw to the ones holding his arm together.

"Winry? What would she be doing here?" Looking back down at the ground, he started seeing all the evidence of something having previously been in the same spot they stood.

"Was there a car stopped here when you left her?"

"Well, yeah, there's always refrigerated trucks parked here when they drop off food for the mess hall."

All the pieces started coming together in Ed's mind as he recalled Hughes' frustration at the serial killer investigation. "Refrigerated trucks; a car that kind hide bodies- Oh no! Winry!"

He took off, ignoring the soldier's questions, but he realized that he had to tell someone about this. He stopped a few feet away, turning around. "Go find Major Maes Hughes of Investigations! Tell him it's the refrigerated trucks; a car that can hide dead bodies! He'll understand!" Then he was gone again, leaving the soldier behind in his wake.

He dashed through the city streets, looking for any large trucks in the alleyways, until, in the warehouse district, he sighted a blue refrigerated truck, parked in a secluded area, outside what looked like a butcher shop.

Slightly out of breath, Ed rushed towards the entrance, quietly pulling open the only door and stepping into the dark and chilled building. He could barely see anything, his steps echoing louder than he'd prefer, surrounded by huge pig carcasses on hooks.

He swept keen golden eyes across the seemingly empty-of-life room, but a sound in the corner made him pause. Was there someone there, crouched down in the corner? He cautiously made his way closer; picking up the pace once he saw it was a woman, crouched down trembling. Whether it was from fear or the chill, Ed couldn't be certain.

"Hey, miss, are you alright?" He crouched down to her level, watching her tremble as she kept her face hidden. "Have you seen others like you in here?"

Briefly, she nodded, pointing to the other side of the room, currently hidden by the hanging carcasses. "Over there." She whispered, and Ed stood, turning to look in the direction she had indicated. "A young girl."

"Ok, I'll just go grab her and we can get the hell out of the place!" He turned back to the woman to reassure her. "Don't worry, you're in safe hands now..." He trailed off as he saw the club she held moments before his head exploded in pain from something colliding with it, and as he dropped, his vision fading away into blackness, Ed could have sworn he heard someone laugh.

Then he knew no more.

* * *

His head hurt, throbbing as a loud grating noise slowly forced him back into the world of consciousness. He opened his eyes with a struggle, and almost immediately, he remembered what had happened and he started struggling right away.

He knew he was bound to a chair, it felt like, but his body was acting sluggishly, and the chains binding him didn't even rattle with his struggles.

In front of him, illuminated by a single light bulb and the sparks from metal being sharpened was the woman he'd spoken to before, when he'd first entered the warehouse. She had her back to him, so Ed couldn't see her face but the heavy meat cleaver she held glinted ominously in the light.

"My hero awakes."

"Why, you!" The sluggishness of his body wore off, and new pain assaulted his nerve, and Ed realized that he could move his automail arm. Looking for it, he despaired to find it missing. "AAHH!"

The woman holding that dangerous cleaver turned to him, revealing his missing limb on the only table in the expansive room. "Word on the playground is that you can transmute without a circle using only your hands, so to safe..." She trailed off, a grin in place as she lifted his useless metal limb.

She laughed, and Ed could feel the beginnings of fear rising up within him, no matter how hard he tried to keep a level head. The woman reached up, grabbed her hair, and to Ed's surprise, pulled off a wig.

"Please, let me introduce myself. My name is Barry and this here's my butcher shop."

"Y-you're a man!" He was still wearing a dress, Ed's mind made a special note in something approaching hysteria.

"Guilty as charged! And as a reward for you making it this far, we have a special guest!" She, or rather, he, shoved at the carcass beside him, the chains holding the slabs of meat up acting as a pulley system, pulling along a terrified Winry. She was bound at the wrists to a large and heavy hook, and gagged, but even from this distance, Ed could see that she had been crying.

"Let her go!"

Winry's wide and terrified eyes never left the killer next to her, and she shivered violently as he leaned in even closer, whimpering in fright. "Since she enjoys taking things apart, I thought I'd do the same to her!" Barry continued to smile, but his dark eyes glinted with an unholy light. "If you watch us carefully, you might just get to see what makes her tick!"

Ed could do nothing to help his friend, helpless as he was. "You're sick! Why are you doing this?"

Barry looked momentarily baffled at the question. "Why? Hmm, what a strange little question that is! I suppose it's because I enjoy it!" A single glance at Winry had her freeze in her struggling. "The first person I killed was my wife; she was nagging me about something, and then without meaning to, I chopped her to pieces. But when I saw how finely I could slice her, I wanted more; more people to cut up to reduce them to their most basic building blocks, and I wanted everyone to see."

Ed allowed the psychopath to ramble, trying to reach his right pocket with his left human hand, since his right metal arm was at the mercy of the killer strolling about in front of him, butcher knife catching the light.

He wanted what was currently in his pocket, that screw that had been left behind at Headquarters. If he could just reach it...

"How could a person murder someone for such a ridiculous reason?" He leaned forward as best he could in the chair he was strapped to, hoping to provoke more rambling from the dangerous man before him, so that his own struggling could be missed.

Eyes wide, completely void of reason and conscience, Barry grinned at him, advancing on him slowly. "Because they can!" He spoke as if his answer had been obvious for all to see.

"Given the slightest provocation-!" His shadow fell across Ed's pale form, and the blond flinched violently at Barry's closeness.

"Stay back!" He cast his eyes down, trying to flinch away from the mad man standing directly in front of him. He didn't want to have to see that huge and deadly blade. He didn't want to admit to himself that the fear was creeping ever closer to the forefront of his mind.

"Anybody can do it! Men, have morals, but send them to war and they have no problems slaying each other in the most brutal fashions. Why do you think that is?"

Ed refused to look at him, fighting to keep his panic at his helpless situation at bay. "I have no idea."

No sooner had the words left his mouth did Barry calmly and neatly raise his arm holding the butcher cleaver, slicing through the skin on Ed's shoulder like a knife through butter. It took a second for Edward to realize the action had been done and he briefly saw Winry flinch at the sight of his blood dripping down his arm and onto the floor.

The blond gritted his teeth, trying not to scream as the pain hit, feeling the cleaver, still embedded into his flesh, move as Barry knelt down to his level, bringing them face to face.

"Because deep down inside, we all want to kill; most just need the go-ahead from their society, like the State Alchemists I saw in a village slaughtering helpless people." Barry made a gesture with his free hand as Ed focused pain-hazy on him. "Splat! Big fountains of blood!"

"That's not true..." Even in his own mind, Ed's voice sounded scared and weak, as images ran through his head, recalling his own destructive forays into dangerous alchemy; when Trisha Elric died and her last moments, to the mass of tissue they had given life to; to Nina's new chimera form, the canine creature sitting on the floor, staring at him with those eyes, and his imaginings of what she would look like if someone had caught and killed her, bringing tears of desperations to his aureate eyes.

"No!" He pressed his fingers against the tiny circle he'd engraved into the chains confining him, activating the array with a brilliant burst of blue light, using the alchemic reaction to turn his chains into a solid steel pole that clanged at his feet.

Barry leapt back, shielding his eyes from the sudden glare, a nasty sneer in place. "You little-!"

Ed raised his eyes long enough to see that heavy, deadly weapon rise upwards to come down on his head and he lurched to the side, falling on his face. He heard the knife chop the chair he'd been strapped to into pieces, splinters falling about him. He had to get away, fast!

Metal glinting in the soft light grabbed at his attention, and he used one foot to kick the steel pole he'd transmuted from his chains into his one hand. He yelped as Barry struck again, barely blocking the deadly blow with his boot, his automail leg absorbing the shock.

He scrambled away, finding his feet and dashing into the maze of hanging carcasses, desperately trying to stay ahead of the psycho behind him, chasing him.

Ed screamed as Barry came after him, stumbling to the cold, hard cement floor and he scuttled backwards, keeping the steel pole in his one good hand, swinging it in front of him as Barry laughed.

The sharpened tip of the bar caught and sliced the murderer's hand, allowing Ed to scuttle away and run off in another direction, away from the light, before he remembered Winry.

He ran back to the center of the butcher house, but his fingers were starting to go numb, and his hand was shaking, and he wasn't tall enough to unhook his friend with only one hand.

"Dammit!" He barely managed to dodge as Barry swung at him again, knocking him into the table, and hearing a clang of metal parts fall from the table, Ed turned and ran away, dropping the pole and grabbing his lifeless, metal arm and he dashed off into the darkened depths. Barry's insane laughter followed him all the way, slowly catching up to him.

He tripped over something and collided with the floor painfully, but he managed to keep a tight grip on his arm, and somewhere in the back of his frightened mind, Ed realized that this might be the only chance he got to maybe stand a chance.

Without a second thought, Ed shoved his arm back into place, suddenly reattaching his nerves to the arm and he screamed as wildfire burned from the previously empty socket.

He didn't even have a chance to compensate for the sudden overload of sensation, as Barry appeared right in front of him, leering down at him, butcher blade glinting menacingly.

The knife rose, preparing to fall in a downward strike that he would not be able to avoid and Ed clamped his eyes shut, bringing his palms together in a clap that resounded throughout the large building.

He brought his flesh hand away, alchemy transmuting the metal into the form of a spearhead, a blade just long enough for him to use and as the butcher knife came crashing down on his head, Ed was just able to parry the blow, but Barry didn't stop; he swung the heavy knife in a frenzy, and Ed could feel small cuts bloom a bright red on his skin from where he wasn't able to block the blows completely.

Out of nowhere, a pig carcass crashed into the serial killer's back, knocking him down on top of Edward, and as he tried to swing again, Ed knocked the knife from his hand, pulling his blade arm back in order to strike.

Ed wasn't even thinking anymore, terrified and panicked and the only thought that was going through his mind was the wish to have Barry gone, to have the monster hunting him gone.

He lunged forward with a cry, but a shout cut through his blank mind, "Don't!" and a familiar hand grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from killing the serial killer.

His first reaction had Ed swinging around, and his blade bound off of hollow armor, and he stopped, sitting there on his knees as exhaustion finally started taking over.

Al brought a hand to his hollow chest plate, a minor scratch barely there in the armor the evidence that Ed had struck his brother. "It'll take more than to kill me, Brother."

Tears cascaded freely down Ed's face as he slowly came back to himself, and he realized what he had been about to do.

A soldier, one Ed didn't recognize, or even registered, rushed into sight, gun drawn and already trained on Barry, who gave up with a maniacal grin.

Ed could only stare at his brother, and Harry came into view from behind Al, kneeling down to Ed's eyelevel. "Al… I…"

"Brother, are you hurt?"

"I thought he was gonna kill me!" Ed whispered, head lowered as tears dripped down to stain the concrete. "I honestly thought I was gonna die! I was so scared! So scared!"

"We're here." Harry spoke softly, leaning forward to envelop Ed in a hug, rubbing his back in comfort. Al put his hand on Ed's flesh shoulder, before helping them to stand and bringing them outside into the setting sun, where Hughes was shouting orders at his various staff.

Together, Al and Harry maneuvered Ed over to the front steps of a neighboring building, just far enough away from the hustle of the soldiers as they performed their tasks for the sake of the illusion of privacy.

A soldier brought a blanket for Ed, and Harry wrapped his brother in it gently, careful to not rub against the open cuts on his arm. He also requested for a med kit to take care of those minor injuries.

"Brother? It turns out the Philosopher's Stone may very well be real, but the clues we need to finding it are off limits to everyone but State Alchemists." Al brought his hand up again to the tiny scratch that would forever remind them of this time. "Since I no longer have a normal shell, I can't feel the terror you felt, thinking you were going to die. I'm sure it must have been painful, and lonely. I want my body back, Brother; I wanna be able to feel what you felt, to feel human again. If we find the Philosopher's Stone, I can have that. And we can repair what we've broken.

"When I was certain that he was going to kill me, my mind went blank, and I didn't have hope anymore. The only thing I could do was scream my lungs out." He stared at his hands, staring at the contrast between the two limbs. "I felt so helpless that I couldn't even bring myself to believe that someone might save me. Then you showed up, Al, with Harry right there behind you, and I realized that if we don't take care of each other, no one else will. So I will do anything in my power to get our bodies back, even if it means being the Military's lapdog! And we'll just have to hope that our powers are good enough to help us rise above our own limits!" He buried his face into his hands, sobbing. "We're not gods! We're humans; tiny, insignificant humans!"

Harry wrapped Ed in another hug, holding tight to his brother. "I will do everything in my power to help you, just like I promised, and with you and Al, I can make my home here. We're human, yes, and we weren't able to get to Nina in time, but that doesn't stop us from trying."

* * *

It was the next day that found Ed Standing in Mustang's empty office, eyes darkened from lack of sleep, but determined. The Colonel was reclined in his chair, sunlight streaming in behind him from the window, Ed's watch on his desk.

"On one condition, you say?"

"I'll obey all your orders, sir, but as long as I serve, I'd like to receive all information on the Philosopher's Stone. And then whenever I've finished all my other duties, you have to permit me to search for it."

"People will question your motives. You realize what will happen if the State learns about your human transmutation; Al will be hauled off to some lab as a precious sample." A small smirk lifted one corner of Mustang's mouth as he regarded the young alchemist in front of him. "Well, I can keep that in my back pocket to make sure you behave."

Ed didn't so much as flinch at the thought of his brother being taken away from him.

"Fine, but you have to report to me everything you uncover about the Philosopher's Stone." The Colonel paused before reaching into one of the desk drawers withdrawing a plain manila folder. "Oh, and I almost forgot; you've been issued your official State title. It's quite ironic, actually; he's got a good sense of humor."

Ed grabbed the folder from Mustang, taking out the sheet of paper inside and he started to read. "'We give the name 'Fullmetal' to thee, Edward Elric, in the name of Fuhrer, King Bradley.'"

He looked up to stare questioningly at his superior officer. "Fullmetal?"

"Along with the pocketwatch, everyone of us is assigned a symbolic second name, depending on your talents, and yours is 'Fullmetal'. The Fullmetal Alchemist."

Ed frowned, his stare turning harsh as he glared at Mustang. "Sounds heavy; tell him I like the feel of it. I won't let it weigh me down."

He started walking away from the large desk, leaving Mustang, but before he reached the door, he turned back around, his glare fiercer than ever before.

"Yes, Fullmetal?"

"You take damn good care of Harry, or I will kick your ass." The he was gone from the office, and Mustang chuckled to himself.

"Of course, Fullmetal."

* * *

Winry, seemingly fully recovered from her ordeal, had insisted that they take her out on the town, and she walked a few steps ahead of Ed and Al, hanging to Harry's arm with a wide smile.

"To celebrate, you're going to buy me all kinds of neat I can't get back home, right?" She declared and Harry laughed.

"I think you've got it backwards there." Ed countered.

"Ah, and who was it that fixed up your arm?"

None of them noticed a tall, dark-skinned man with a scar across his face watching them from across the street in an alley. His keen eyes got the glint of metal from the belts of both Harry and Ed, and the stranger frowned before turning away, his heart-felt conviction growing stronger.

* * *

A/N: ANOTHER CHAPTER IS FINALLY HERE! NOT AS LONG OF A WAIT THIS TIME, THANK GOD, AND I'LL GET STARTED ON CHAPTER 7 AS SOON AS I CAN, BUT FOR NOW, IT'S BED TIME. PLEASE REVIEW, AS I LOVE HEARING WHAT YOU GUYS THINK OF MY STORY! THANKS!


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